I've utilized the Lightning Network a few times to send small sums of bitcoin. But, to be really honest, most people I talk to have no idea what it is. They're all stuck on buying and hoarding bitcoin. So, at least here, lightning is barely on anyone's radar. That's a great shame, if you ask me. I have a hunch the experiment was a flop.
Not sure what triggered your hunch, I'm still really bullish on it... a bit of flat line, but hey, still here up and running. check it yourself here
https://mempool.space/lightning or here
https://bitcoinvisuals.com/lightning for validation