My iOS app using MapKit is smooth with ~4k annotations on an iPhone 14. My experience is that it doesn't really start to choke until you get closer to ~10k.
I drive a manual Mazda 3 because I like the greater feeling of connection to the machine, but also because I think it makes me pay more attention. When I rent an automatic, it feels like a (literal) blunt instrument in comparison. I understand the appeal of (semi-) self driving, but the whole idea still makes me nervous. I can't really imagine sitting in a car doing nothing for long stretches of time but still being alert and ready to take control at any random moment.
And yet your observation, contradicted by actual statistics, is apparently justification for 'IMO the "powers that be" panicked and drove the population into mass hysteria.' It's mysterious.
There have been over 100 million cases and over one million deaths in the US. Congratulations to you and your acquaintances for being extreme outliers.
Many Americans were traumatized by being asked to wear a mask because they’re big angry babies. Many other Americans were traumatized by the discovery that they’re surrounded by big angry babies.
Students in the 90s had also lived their entire lives under the counter-productive and utterly racist War on Drugs. That might have colored their attitude more than the leftist indoctrination bogeyman.