Oof, this is a lot.
@misskyliesue Welcome!
One thing you can do to tone down the interface here is go into settings & check the 'ostrich mode' button.
@misskyliesue everything is ON when you start. You control it all. Breathe!
Change to Light Mode - add Ostrich Mode - get rid of columns. Use Enlarge or Reduce (CMD+/- or CTRL+/-) to force things on or off.
@misskyliesue
Welcome. It is a lot, and if no one has mentioned it yet, you can stop the Firehose from moving by scrolling it up or down a bit. Same with the Friends column.
@misskyliesue welcome you get used to it quickly