How React helps developers to develop complex applications better, faster, and cleaner.

React is considered the best framework (though it’s technically a library) in the world. It’s literally perfect for everything. Such claims are common on the internet because React was the new trend adopted by many companies. Tech influencers on YouTube and Twitter promoted it relentlessly, and I, like many, believed the hype and promises surrounding React.

It’s a great tool, but the problem lies in its flexibility, allowing developers to do absolutely everything. This leads to developers installing 25 different libraries for tasks that are simpler and built-in in other frameworks, such as routing or state management (React offers 4+ options for these).

The MERN stack was also hugely popular for promises like “get rich quick” or “get a job in 3 months”:

• MongoDB
• ExpressJS
• React
• Node.js

Three to five years ago, there was a belief that non-relational databases would completely replace relational databases (like MySQL, PostgreSQL), creating a future problem. As mentioned before, the framework gave developers the freedom to work as they wished. Due to discontent with migrating from AngularJS to Angular 2, many decided to try the new toy, React.

Initially, working with React was flexible and pleasant compared to Angular because it eliminated the need for jQuery, and since it was all JavaScript, you only needed Node.js to become a Full-Stack Web Developer. Problems arose when people started adopting packages that served similar purposes (like Redux, Context API, Zustang, etc.), and the same trend emerged with Node.js.

Suddenly, the primary goal wasn’t problem-solving but rather learning the next library that claimed to be “better” than the last one. Teams would switch libraries monthly. Standardization was foreign to most JavaScript developers. One might expect them to realize their mistakes and seek stability, right? Wrong!

Instead, they created even more frameworks with more libraries copying each other, rather than innovating. To the point where even React’s creators no longer recommended using React itself… weird, right? In their documentation, they suggested using Next.js instead (which is like a streamlined PHP clone) with exciting new features and easy deployment thanks to Vercel.

I was one of those JavaScript developers who believed everything, and my mental health suffered for it over the years. I started learning Angular, Vue.js, and Laravel, and for the first time, I could focus on solving problems, collaborating with clients and teams, and even had free time to enjoy hobbies like reading 40k lore.

I realized that we’re somewhat in a matrix where new technologies emerge, gain popularity, decline, and the cycle repeats. My advice is to create your mini ecosystem of tools, become proficient, and continue learning new technologies. Remember, we’ll never be perfect developers, and imposter syndrome may creep in, but it can be overcome by knowing where to search for solutions and what tools to use.

Happy coding! 😄

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