Comment by zoomablemind

In a way, the print-debugging is a sign of 'owning' the code, when a developer is very much familiar with the structure and internal works of the project. This is akin to surgeon precisely pointing the scope and scalpel.

Add to this a need to build a debugging-enabled version of the project - an often long-running process, compared to a few edits to some 'release' build.

On the other hand, when dealing with an unfamiliar or complex and well-forgotten project, debuggers become that discovery and exploration tool that offers a wider context and potentially better situational awareness.

Of course, mix-in some concurrency and either debugging approach can equally become cumbersome without proper understanding of the project.