@baleine I think it’s not about being welcoming but about being familiar.
There are social norms associated with these tools that younger people may be unfamiliar with (says the old fart!).
If we want to attract younger folks, and we surely do, we should take that into account, just not at any cost (giving up on privacy, federation, and free software by going to Discord is not an option).
In the meantime, ask questions on IRC, there are nice folks! :-)