I feel the need to clarify AWildC182's comment because I think it reflects poorly on amateur radio as an inviting place for younger people.
There are some "scenes" in amateur radio that are dominated by older, somewhat conservative leaning discourse. Some VHF and UHF repeaters are like this, and there are many groups of people who chat with the same group every night on 80m SSB.
Some newcomers start out on VHF/UHF repeaters and if they live near one that is like this, it may turn them off to the entire hobby even though it's just a small part of it.
I recommend CW and FT8 as less conversational ways of getting on the air. If you are in the mood for a conversation, you can do so on CW, and there are conversational digital modes.
I personally like contests and experiencing propagation and band openings, but don't really need to have a long chat.
So my recommendation for a new licensee would be to jump right into MSK144 and then determine what to do next :)
There are some "scenes" in amateur radio that are dominated by older, somewhat conservative leaning discourse. Some VHF and UHF repeaters are like this, and there are many groups of people who chat with the same group every night on 80m SSB.
Some newcomers start out on VHF/UHF repeaters and if they live near one that is like this, it may turn them off to the entire hobby even though it's just a small part of it.
I recommend CW and FT8 as less conversational ways of getting on the air. If you are in the mood for a conversation, you can do so on CW, and there are conversational digital modes.
I personally like contests and experiencing propagation and band openings, but don't really need to have a long chat.
So my recommendation for a new licensee would be to jump right into MSK144 and then determine what to do next :)