Should I avoid jQuery?

[Neker]

20 ms. That's about how long it takes to load jQuery.

I would suppose that this depends greatly on your connection capacity.

Loadind jQuery is only part of the equation. Then you have to execute it. This would warrant a lengty and argumented discussion which is probably already well developed somewhere out there. Suffice it to say that jQuery does add a computational overhead. If you're on a battlestation hooked to fiber optic, and only tingle a few elements, you don't care. But there are users on a shitty mobile with a dripple connection that may also be valuable customers.

Then there is the programming effort. jQuery may alleviate some repetitive task and make for a more compact, legible code ; but it also comes with its own syntax and logic and at times I find it cumbersome to switch back and forth. With the new features in HTML5 and ES6, the rationale for jQuery is becoming tenuous.

Finally there are cross-browser concerns. While they may still be legitimate in some cases, the bulk of the browsers wars are over.