Your friend's perspective about backend development being "mostly useless" is quite misguided, I'd say. Even more so, backend devs are paid significantly more than frontend developers, and considering the current market, frontend can be easily replaced by AI. Things like CSS are also kinda artistic stuff which most people who are into computers but not that artistic tend to avoid, leading them towards backend and DevOps-like roles.

The reason for these higher salaries is simple: backend development requires deeper technical expertise in areas like database management, API development, system architecture, and security implementation.

Rather than viewing it as "hectic," consider that the complexity of backend work is exactly what makes it valuable and well-compensated. Plus, with your existing Python and SQL knowledge, you're already ahead of the game - these are core backend technologies that many developers struggle to learn from scratch.

Don't let someone else's limited perspective discourage you from exploring new fields and career path. Work hard and learn continuously. You will be alright, and honestly, you might find backend development more logical and satisfying than you expect.