Sure, languages have depth, and there is at some level some need to keep up with the Joneses (though to mix metaphors, different ecosystems have their red queen

Sure, languages have depth, and there is at some level some need to keep up with the Joneses (though to mix metaphors, different ecosystems have their red queens running at very different paces, and is it wise to be in or try to join the fastest paced race?), but I feel there is a distinction between following the latest hype blindly (and using the latest tool because of hype), and evaluating tools based on some criteria (and choosing the latest tool because it actually solves the problem on hand best). The latter is a skill that can be gained and taught in one ecosystem, and applied in another (and the former causes issues far too often). I think this skill is very similar to what highly productive academics have, they evaluate and examine ideas, techniques and concepts from a wide variety of fields, and combine them to build new ones.