Linux Mint is widely regarded as one of the best beginner-friendly distros, so it's a very nice option to start with. It was the second distro I've ever used (after Ubuntu) and it felt very stable and welcoming.

there is a "Characters" app in Gnome that lets you pick emojis

you're absolutely not. i daily drive linux and find all these memes cringy too (came here from "all" too if anyone's wondering)