Unfortunately true, but also not the experience that most people who continue to play the game have with it. Public instances, especially those in popular worlds, are pure cancer. Anyone who has played more than a few hours will tell you. The reason they are so full of screaming kids is because everyone who isn't one has moved elsewhere.

I very very rarely encounter minors, and hanging out with them makes me uncomfortable too, even having thousands of hours played. Sucks that you had a bad experience, the platform can be a completely different experience if you are brought into it by someone who already knows their way around.