The React programming language has gained significant popularity over the years, especially after Facebook open-sourced its Android- and iOS-focused kin React Native in March 2015. Kyle Mathews, the creator of GatsbyJS, attributes his decision to use React to its declarative model for generating DOM, which made DOM manipulation easier and more efficient. Mathews praises React's component model, which allows developers to encapsulate complex functionality and reuse it across multiple places. He also appreciates the simplicity and power that comes with working in JavaScript, which has undergone significant changes over the years. Despite concerns about "JavaScript fatigue," Mathews believes that new tools and frameworks like Gatsby can make development more efficient and enjoyable. He envisions a future where static sites become increasingly popular, and he hopes to see more activity around Gatsby, a tool that integrates various React-related tools into one platform.