I didn't play very long (under a year) but I had a ton of fun mostly thanks to my guildmates. I didn't mind some grinding, and WoW has plenty, but most of what kept me coming back was to meet up with other players I had gotten to know and had a lot of fun playing and chatting with.
Definitely, and I have many friends who still play MMOs as adults who do the same thing. They open group chats with longtime (and new!) friends and play. The grind is a thing to do while everyone hangs out. But I also know people who turn their brain off and grind as a way to just pass the time. One of my favorite ways to waste time is to get a little high, fire up Diablo, and grind away. It's the same with social media. Social media can be social or it can be parasocial depending on how you use it.
