>Was work socialization even that good?

It doesn't really matter. It was OK for some, useless for others. People still don't have a choice. It's just a different lack of choice.

Debates about WFH seem redundant at this point. There is not much value in endless anecdote-driven BTO vs WFH holywars. By now, it's obvious that WFH is good for some people and bad for others. Companies should do what that can to offer the desirable type of work to the employees who should have a choice. That's it. End of story. Back to work.