alt Hacker Newspocksuppet’s advice is I think more of a reaction to a specific way that you could take a short position, and in 2026 I think you want to assume that people who know what “short” means, also know what options are.
The advice is good in a kind of stopped clock sense.
I'm old, so I am a stopped clock. However, I have invested my whole life including good times and bad. I believe that for a retail trader -- someone who doesn't get paid to trade other people's money-- options are bad. OK yes there are special cases like when your job requires you to hold a lot of one stock etc. I'm not going to make the case why here I am sure it has been argued to death.
I do remember smart friends getting interested in options at different times in the last thirty years because they make higher returns. Then they have a period where make lower returns, or have a real problem. I don't think its worth the attention and the trading cost for most people, even people who understand what a short is. You can't argue with a person who has been doing really well with them for five years but it always seems like people stop.