re: Is Scott Phillips (American Woodworker) preventing new wood workers from learning proper Joinery ?

For me, pocket screws were a stepping stone. I built a lot of fairly complex projects, like my home built camper that I never would have tackled if I’d had to figure out traditional joinery. I started with pocket screws, then graduated to dowel pin joints, and now I’m doing mortise and tenon joinery.
If you are really interested in woodworking, you’ll always be looking for new challenges. If you are going to build every piece the same way, you might as well get an assembly line job at an Ashley Furniture factory.