So why do so many people like remote work?

I mean, I think the answer to this is obvious. The negative effects are not a fait accompli... it depends a lot on your own behavior. Perfectly possible to have remote work and a rich social life, if you put some effort into it. And people tend to overestimate their ability to make the right choices when the time comes, and they tend not to think that they'll suffer the plight of the averages