That is good advice! I got the same from my first manager: Research and try to find the answer first before reaching out for help. I had in fact already done that in the particular situation in which he commented, but he was right in principle anyway, so no harm done.

I have a very different feeling about the OPs situation though. This is not about junior people asking too many questions or being lazy or incompetent, it is about a personality of people who are just entitled and demanding and just generally bitter assholes. Not typically seen in juniors!