Using React with an API back-end is only 1 of many choices.
There's tools like Hotwire[0] and htmx[1] (both are back-end agnostic) that will let you create good old boring web apps with any back-end language where you don't need to write a ton of JS. You can sprinkle in front-end quality of life enhancements as needed to make nice feeling web apps with reasonably minimal complexity.
Nothing involving React will resolve the complexity issue...
The benefits react provides in functionality (page transitions and controls) could have been better addressed within web browsers, but the process of web design is constantly trying to resolve front end issues in code to suit a wide variety of OS versions and browsers, which is where a big problem lies...
i don't have the answers myself, but this urge to use tons of different libraries, langs, services, and tools just to build web apps, and then the never ending cycle of updating things daily to maintain stability and security may make people money, but it's really not sustainable in the long run. This is why most sites are beginning to be run on platforms like WIX and sharepoint, while independent developers and small app companies go broke. There is just too much damn complexity gumming up everything.
From my experience the more exotic frameworks are often pushed at smaller companies by developers hoping they'll be hard to replace whereas big companies use what s most popular to ensure they can find replacements easily.
Htmx isn't a framework, and is usually embedded in a more popular backend-rendering framework like Django or rails. Htmx is just a library that removes the need for the most common client-side SPA features, (i.e. partial page updates).
Hotwire is created by Basecamp which also houses the main creators of Rails.
Basecamp has been around for ~20 years. I have a lot of confidence that it'll be around and supported because it's a substantial part of the stack involved with a real world application that is their primary business. It's also from a group of folks who have an impeccable track record for supporting the tools they use.
Unpoly is the best thing I've discovered in the frontend world in the last 5 years. It's a breath of fresh air when compared to all the crazyness going on.
I use it to replace almost all "api" calls to the backend and for the "turbolinks like" navigation, modals, etc. Then I use Alpinejs for the really interactive/complex parts.
I'm not doing a React/SPA ever again if I have any chance to decide on that.
There's tools like Hotwire[0] and htmx[1] (both are back-end agnostic) that will let you create good old boring web apps with any back-end language where you don't need to write a ton of JS. You can sprinkle in front-end quality of life enhancements as needed to make nice feeling web apps with reasonably minimal complexity.
[0]: https://hotwired.dev/
[1]: https://htmx.org/