Too many tools: How to manage frontend tool overload

Frontend development has evolved from simple tools like JavaScript, jQuery, and PHP in 2009-2013 to an overwhelming ecosystem of hundreds of frameworks, libraries, and tools today. This abundance creates decision fatigue, steep learning curves, and constant tool churn that negatively impacts developer experience. The explosion stems from ECMAScript's yearly releases after 2015, the rise of SPAs, open-source growth, and AI tool proliferation. To manage this overload, developers should stick to proven community conventions, prioritize stable tools with good documentation, avoid chasing trends without clear benefits, and focus on team needs rather than hype.