Might be a hot take but I think both high school and university are (typically) much more difficult and stressful than career work. Constantly having to process, assimilate, and retain new information at a breakneck pace; perpetual assignments and exams which have huge educational, social, and monetary repercussions upon failure; all this while also having to find a way to earn enough money to survive on minimum wage shit jobs with zero job security or recourse for poor treatment.
Yes, by the time you’re employed you probably have way more responsibilities both inside and outside the workplace which can make life more stressful, but no workplace I’ve been in has challenged me nearly so much as hs and uni.
I agree, however, rather than individual participation, I would say Linux represents a victory for the collective spirit. Yes Linus has spearheaded the kernal development for years, but without all the other contributors sacrificing countless hours, Linux wouldn’t be nearly as successful (and ubiquitous) as it is. Linux demonstrates that we, as a community, can come together to work towards something we know is good and right, without the drive of monetary gain or social recognition, but just because it’s fun, or fills a need, or helps us learn.
That’s one of the biggest reasons I think Linux is so evangelised on Lemmy specifically: because it epitomises the power of collective altruism in a world increasingly dominated by corporate greed.