I’d very much agree that there’s no need to be in manual mode all the time — but I think beginners had ought to ditch scene and waiter mode as quickly as they can, and move to the appropriate semi-automatic mode (speed or aperture depending if they care more about motion blur or depth of field). I’d also suggest switching back and forth between semi-automatic and manual, using the camera’s auto settings as a starting point. Learn by doing, not just watching numbers in the viewfinder. Muscle memory is important.

That said, there are some situations in which I find manual mode to be loads easier than any of the automatic modes. (e.g. reframing, flash, beach/snow)