I told somebody I know who knew about Reddit's API changes about Lemmy. He has a master's degree in Computer Science and works as a software engineer. But then, he told me that it's too confusing to get into, even for someone like him. This is great feedback and I hope that these issues will be fixed in the coming months.
It took me five minutes to find an instance and sign in. I figured out (mostly) how instances work over the course of a couple of days. I dont have a degree. Sounds like youre friend just doesnt want to give it a shot
I have a master's degrees, but I doubt that matters. My experience mirrors yours: five minutes (except for waiting times to get approved). I agree with your conclusion.