TBH, paper straws suck. And not because they fall apart, which is annoying but not the end of the world.... But because they're full of PFAS.... Yeah, not fucking great.
I’ve never understood why we need straws. I get it for a milkshake but I don’t understand why a restaurant gives me a glass with a straw in it. Do people use straws at home?
I'd much prefer to drink acidic or staining things through a straw. Orange juice, iced coffee drinks, soft drinks. The less those things pass over my enamel the better.
There's a few things, like you said some things truly do require a straw like a milkshake, or slushies, tbf they are "fun" even if that's not a great reason, but I think the real reason people got hooked on them is drive throughs, they are undoubtedly much easier when you are driving.
I have some silicone ones that I really like too, they open up like a zipper making them really easy to clean. Silicone is technically recyclable as well, though that is rarely done.