I don't think it's a Javascript problem in the sense that it's due to intrinsics properties of Front-end developpement, or of NPM, but I do agree that's in a cultural problem in the Javascript ecosystem, especially around React.
My theory is that there was a perfect storm around 2015 where everyone and their dog was encouraged to learn to code, especially by going through a coding bootcamp where they were mainly taught Javascript and React. At the same time there was a general enthusiasm for Open-Source, and of using Github as a sort of alternative, better Linkedin in order to get your first job as a software engineer.
As a result lots of silly packages were created (and used !) by well-meaning junior developers, who were told that coding is very simple but also fraught with peril, so if they are serious then they better should use packages such as 'is-odd' which is clearly more professional than doing it yourself, cause it follows the DRY principle and also get updated test by lots of people, etc...
LOL 2015 was a banner year for the trendy web-dev influencers...I can remember junior developers tripping over themselves trying to implement "flux" to handle some form input. Needlessly complex bullshit libraries got forced down everyone's throat because AngularJS was passe and React was "very mindful, very demure". Eventually flux became "redux", which I gather was a "state management" framework that ripped off a post graduate students custom niche language. And I want to say the redux kid's background was literally microsoft powerpoint scripting. Very surreal time in development.
FWIW, I'm the current Redux maintainer, and that is an absolutely horrible and unfair description of how Redux was created.
Elm was _an_ influence on Redux, but there were many other influences as well. Dan Abramov's prior experience did include some VB (possibly VB.NET, I think), but also a lot of actual JS.
See the actual "History of Redux" and "Prior Art" docs pages, and a couple of my blog posts, for an accurate description of the influences that led to Redux's creation:
My theory is that there was a perfect storm around 2015 where everyone and their dog was encouraged to learn to code, especially by going through a coding bootcamp where they were mainly taught Javascript and React. At the same time there was a general enthusiasm for Open-Source, and of using Github as a sort of alternative, better Linkedin in order to get your first job as a software engineer.
As a result lots of silly packages were created (and used !) by well-meaning junior developers, who were told that coding is very simple but also fraught with peril, so if they are serious then they better should use packages such as 'is-odd' which is clearly more professional than doing it yourself, cause it follows the DRY principle and also get updated test by lots of people, etc...