No, that is quite relevant to the point. Web development have become easier over time. For example styling is much easier with better and more consistent CSS support in browsers. But at the same time people are attempting much more complex stuff which requires complex tools.
Perhaps there is a problem in the educational resources available if people think they need npm and typescript to build a simple website.
The point is that for someone starting out, web development looks complex. And it is. I know it because I teach this stuff. Ignoring 99% of the industry and use the bare minimum to write a web app is something an expert does. When you’re a beginner you lack the knowledge to recognize expertise. And when most tutorials suggest a heavy stack you‘ll likely stick with the majority. And even when you’re lucky and learn how to write simple web apps from scratch, CSS, HTML and JS are anything but sensible technologies, even with the latest additions that admittedly improved things a lot.
If you don't think package management or transpilers makes your particular project simpler, then don't use them. They are tools.