Not gonna lie, I think partly a reason people yearn for romance in media and ship platonic relationships in a romantic light so much isn't because of too much romantic media, but because most mainstream media SUCKS at portraying friendship
We have an abundance of media that focuses on friendship more than romance now compared to years ago, but the problem is most of these stories portray friendship and the choice not to be in a romantic relationship as a "power move" and a sign that someone is strong and independent. They don't treat friendship as something intimate and something that vulnerable humans need to rely on.
They treat friendship as transactional and that friends are just there to help the main character move on up in their career or achieve other dreams. That you're the main character in life and everyone around you is just there to advance your life, they're not individuals who are vulnerable, need support, and have feelings too.
The problem now seems to be less that there's too much romance in media, but that friendships feel so hollow and meaningless in platonic-focused media, that anything that feels more intimate than what these stories portray ends up being perceived as romantic.
