Absolutely, I also think that.

I gifted old but perfectly usable PCs to some friends' kids, and installed Simplex (my plan is Nostr, let's see how the groups stuff will go on) to have a secure way to explore communication with family and close friends.

I also gave them some lessons to learn the general basics, and they were enthusiast about this new toy/tool.

And parents was also impressed by the positive reaction and the abilities of their children.

No need for a smartphone.