There is a massive difference between using a library like jQuery and using vanilla JS for similar purposes. I would not be surprised if a lot of frontend devs

There is a massive difference between using a library like jQuery and using vanilla JS for similar purposes. I would not be surprised if a lot of frontend devs aren't fully aware that a lot of functionality is now available in modern, vanilla JS vs. using a library. The website is a bit of a parody, but the numbers are real: http://vanilla-js.com/ http://vanilla-js.com/ For similar functionality, modern, native JS is orders of magnitude faster than almost all JS libraries. The libraries obviously do more, but they also account for older browsers and just by their nature have a lot more overhead. The point about edge case devices also should not be missed – the assumption that "we have 5G" should be a target is really quite surprising. There are always cases for a more optimum website. When traveling and there is low signal, or people on pay-per-MB plans, and more – there are all kinds of people that can benefit from a slimmer and lighter (compute-wise) website. The stupid fast chips are not used by everyone, in fact, not even the majority.