I'm glad you're enjoying it here so far! I think it's definitely a mixture of both, and it depends on the person. Some people thrive in chat, whereas some people are less comfortable with it. I'm always a bit too socially awkward to jump in on the conversations in chat so I'm pretty quiet over there.
I'd definitely say just get stuck in though! Feel free to drop anybody a message and get involved in any conversations you feel comfortable in. People are generally super friendly - some of the most welcoming people I've met online! You'll have no problem getting to know people at all.