React has shifted the questions asked by newbies, from which framework to choose, to what tooling to choose to complete the framework. Essentially it's a framework in library disguise.

It's used more as a simplifying term for a family of related technologies, rather than React the library itself.

For experienced coders this doesn't matter too much. More toys to play with. Newbies seem to be having a hard time picking up all those buzz-word ridden notions of the available tooling.

Not everyone can have a deep computer programming background, so they have to be confused and then get it wrong, in order to learn.

It's not React's fault, it can't solve everything. It is what it is, the problem is irrational people, trying to make a front-end messiah out of it.