I've been investing a small amount monthly in index funds for years, but after seeing the recent market swings, I'm questioning if passive investing is still the best approach for a beginner. A friend who trades actively made 30% last year, while my portfolio barely grew 8%. Sure, I know that historically most active managers underperform the market, but with new tools and information available to retail investors, maybe that edge has narrowed. Should someone with a 10-20 year horizon stick to low-cost index funds, or is learning to pick individual stocks worth the time and risk now?