How I Stay Updated with React in 2024 (2024)

It’s 2024, RSC is all over the place and React 19 is coming. Get ready for it!

About two years ago, I wrote a story on Medium about how I stay updated with React (and frontend development in general), which proved fairly popular:

While the story is still relevant today, I felt that it needed a refresh. I’m now following more people on Twitter, and I use some resources more than others.

Also, 2024 promises to be a big year: React is due to receive some upgrades, more frameworks are starting to adopt React Server Components (RSC), and there is now a consensus that useEffect should be avoided like the plague. Oh, and what about AI? Vercel has been blowing our minds with v0 and Generative UI since the year started.

So, if you don’t want to be left out, I have compiled a list of resources that will help you stay in the loop:

𝕏 is more than ever the place to be if you want to stay updated with React. The great exodus announced when Elon Musk bought the social network never happened. I even had to add a “bonus” section to my top 5 because of the amount and quality of influential developers on the platform:

Dan Abramov²

Nobody knows what happened to Dan the 1st. He became invisible on 𝕏 after he quit Meta. But fear not, he’s back with Dan 2, stronger than ever. Dan is on a mission to educate people on React Server Components (RSC). And if there’s one person on Earth that can do that, it’s him.

Kent C Dodds

Kent is one of the most experienced React developers out there. He’s produced an insane amount of training content, worked at PayPal and Google, and co-founded Remix. He’s even managed to make developers enjoy testing web apps (partly thanks to Testing Library).

Dominik Dorfmeister

Everybody knows and loves React Query! Dominik is the guy behind it. He’s very active on 𝕏 and has a great blog too: https://tkdodo.eu/.

Cory House

I didn’t even realize how much I liked Cory’s tweets until I looked at my list of bookmarks. Cory is an independent consultant. His tweets are spot-on and full of good advice!

Theo Browne

Theo is more well-known for this YouTube channel (read on), but his 𝕏 account is well worth it too—a mix of amusing sh*t posts and overreactions to the latest news in the frontend world. But behind the agitation, Theo is an amazing hardworking React developer.

Bonus Track

OK, I could go on like this forever. Tech Twitter is the place to be when you’re a frontend developer. But let’s cut it short and wrap this with a few more people.

Whether you like Next.js or not, Vercel is always going to be on top of the React game, and its CEO, Guillermo Rauch, is here to prove it. But maybe you’re more into Remix? Then Ryan Florence is your guy. And what about Tanner Linsley, creator of the TanStack? Let’s not forget Daishi Kato, the author of the only state libraries you want to use in 2024 (Zustand, Jotai,…). Finally, I wanted to mention Matt Poco*ck, the TypeScript wizard (he also has a newsletter and free tutorials).

Okay, I couldn’t conclude without mentioning @0xca0a (☄︎)… His tweets probably won’t help you pay your bills (who knows), but you‘ll be amazed to see what React Three Fiber can achieve:

I always love a good read and I like to learn by the book. Here are my few favorite websites for that:

React.dev

This may be obvious, but the best resource to learn React is the official React website… The Learn section contains plenty of interactive examples, and I cannot think of a better way to learn React. The website is accessible to all levels, from beginner to advanced developers.

Once you’ve read and understood the advanced topics, you will probably be better than 80% of the React developers out there. Dan Abramov himself wrote these docs, so it’s a joy to read and you’ll easily get there if you’re motivated enough.

Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on the blog posts to know what’s cooking.

Frontend Mastery

I’m so glad I found this website back in 2022 in my original story. Frontend Mastery has helped me navigate through what was happening in the frontend world since then, and in particular with how to manage state and implement composition.

It’s easy to fall for biased fanboy opinions when you read tweets and blog posts (although this is also part of the fun 😁). But Frontend Mastery always keeps a humble, high-level, detached eye towards frontend development. Of course, React will always have a good spot on Frontend Mastery, but so far, it has never been promoted king.

I highly recommend this website if you like deep dives and you want to up your game.

Epic Web

Epic Web aims to teach the world about modern full-stack web development. Since it’s Kent C Dodds’ project, you already know it’s going to be good! But this time, he has teamed up with several top developers, such as Artem Zakharchenko (creator of MSW), to produce amazing content.

The articles, as well as some tutorials, are free to access. But in case you or your employer have a thousand bucks to spare, consider buying the full course (I haven’t yet, but I’m working on it 😉).

Newsletters are a great way to stay updated and discover things you may not have thought of. Here my favorite two:

Bytes: Your Weekly Dose of JavaScript

One of the best JavaScript newsletters! Bytes sends its newsletter twice a week, which is A LOT of content to digest. But luckily, the newsletter is an easy read and it never fails to make me smile.

Here is an extract from their latest “OSScars” winners:

Best Independent Film: htmx. Like most indie films, everyone loves to talk about how great htmx is, despite the fact that they’ve never actually used it. That’s how you know the htmx team’s extended PSYOP meme-based marketing campaign is working.

And if you’ve missed the newsletter or you’re just curious about it, see the Bytes Archive.

Medium

Of course, I had to include Medium! You found my story on Medium, and I bet it’s not your first time here. The platform has a lot of stories written by authors like you and me who like to share their knowledge on the technologies they work with.

Some content can only be found on Medium. For example, since I’ve had to work with Micro-frontends and Module Federation, I found that the main contributor in the domain,

, publishes all his updates and tutorials here.

Many major companies, such as

, also publish their blog on Medium. I find it always interesting to read about how big corps do technology at scale.

So make sure to follow the authors you like and subscribe to the newsletter. The newsletter is tailored to you, with the people and topics you like. The more you read, the better it gets.

I’ll be honest, I don’t watch much video as I find it hard to sit in front of a screen for 10+ minutes without distraction. But I happen to watch some, and I know many of you like this format. So here it is:

Theo Browne

Yes, Theo, again. This time, in his natural habitat: YouTube. If anything happens in the React World, you’ll probably see a video of Theo about it in the next 48 hours (or less). You might find that a few of his videos are just plain rants, but he always has a point, whether you agree or not.

Jack Herrington

Jack is the other big name on YouTube if you like frontend development. Just like Theo, Jack covers all the latest technologies, with a hands-on approach. He’s also an expert on some niches, such as Micro Frontends, and his content has become the reference in the domain.

Ben Holmes

He’s one of the new kids on the block. Don’t be misled by his juvenile look, Ben is a lead engineer at Astro and he probably knows more React than we do. He’s published some impressive videos on React Server Components, but Ben’s also posting some shorts on YouTube and TikTok if you just want your daily fix.

If you made it up here, you might feel a bit overwhelmed! Don’t worry, it’s normal, nobody can’t digest that amount of information. What matters is that you find your way and frequency to stay informed. Don’t be pressured to try out or use everything you read about. Let the hype settle and see what sticks.

You’ll be amazed to see what a few minutes spent reading each week will do to you. Things will start picking your curiosity. Without noticing, you will learn and improve your skills, and be more prepared for the next big thing to happen.

Finally, remember to share your best finds with your peers! It’s easier and more fun when you have a community around you.