You're sounding fairly uneducated on social anxiety to be honest. Should people with anxiety not hang out in friend groups and resign themselves to a life of isolation? I get how your example can be annoying where you're expected to do all the small talk in work, but if I'm in a social situation where I'm only friends with half the people there and I have no idea what the strangers perceive as good, or if they're thinking I'm weird because I'm being quiet, it's going to be very difficult feeling confident, especially because I live in the knowledge that a great deal of people can be as judgemental as yourself.
I also generally don't put myself in those situations, but even before covid theres very little opportunity for socialising in Ireland outside of the pub so a lot of anxious people can feel forced to put themselves in those incredibly uncomfortable situations in order to maintain friendships.