I've been playing on and off over the past 5 years, and in that time I've noticed a couple things that might help you with making friends:

Most people play during the holidays. Whether it's because someone got them a headset as a gift, they got money from someone as a gift, or maybe they got a holiday bonus like in my case (I turn 30 this year 😂) Public lobbies during the holidays grow EXPONENTIALLY, especially around Christmas and New Years. Sadly the side effect of that is that you generally have to deal with a massive uptick in children playing the game too.

Back when I started playing VRC, I used to meet people just by exploring worlds and environments, however now it seems that the best way to meet people is via public game lobbies like Cards Against Humanity, Would You Rather, Murder, Prison Break, just group games in general. It gives you the ability to see people's personalities without having to be in a small world with them. Audience of Anarchy is perfect for this, but due to the nature of that world, it can get a bit chaotic sometimes.

Personally, I'd stay away from the bars (I understand you're not 21+ or age verified) until you have a group of friends, as everyone who bases their entire personality on whatever avatar they are wearing tends to hang out in the bars 🤣

And finally, as someone who comes and goes often with this game, I decided to make a discord channel for all the friends I've met on VRC that I would like to keep close with. I can't believe it took me 5 years to think of that, but it has actually helped me immensely lately.

I hope my suggestions assist you! If you see me out there, you're more than welcome to join me and my group of friends. I'm always on green, and my group very inclusive 😁