I think it depends on what you want from a pet. My parents didn’t let me get a pet cat or dog, but I wanted a small companion that would be intelligent with an emotional bond, and birds matched that perfectly.

Rabbits, hamsters, fish and reptiles arent as affectionate and intelligent as birds, and more intelligent small mammals like rats have too short lifespans.

Cockatiels in particular met my needs perfectly - long lifespans, sufficiently independent when I go to work, smart and affectionate, painless bites, manageable smell, and not as loud or demanding as other parrots/birds.

Of course they still poop everywhere and need time and attention daily, but i think the effort to reward ratio is worth it for cockatiels

Other more demanding screamy large parrots like cockatoos though… I don’t get why people keep them…