Sure, one's preference will color their perspective. As an oldhead in things similar to this place's Arena before I ever looked at RPG, mine is that RP is like entering ancient ruins. And the excavating party has some zoomer going "but it's dead, and old!" in the back. You gotta crack him upside the mouth. He won't shut up about it.
And yet I think 1x1 in planning phase is rather active, at least compared to some other focuses.
I also don't think the insults aimed at it, or the goon squads stalking interest checks and dropping shitty one-liners while laugh reacting to posts, stem from a turnover rate problem.
Seems to me it tends to be people with questionable browser histories wanting to mock newcomers, of course suggestions of fetish content, and again that predatory urge since well. Easier to attack one person than an entire group now isn't it.