C64 BASIC was all there was for many people, otherwise computers were mostly not affordable and available to children. There just wasn't real choice, so we used what we had. If structured BASIC or better had been shipped that would have been the thing to use instead, without a doubt.
Today there's a choice. We can't pretend we are forced. Now there are many MUCH better things. And if we intentionally choose hardware which enforces the use of something bad to start with, when we could put all kinds of things on all kinds of hardware today - it isn't because we were forced but because we are stupid. People with experience use Javascript because they have to in order to program the browser (due to a completely artificial monopoly) and they have the ability to adapt to it. Maybe they even develop stockholm syndrome and forget all the ways it's broken and missing basic capabilities. But that doesn't mean it's a good choice among starting languages when we have a free choice.
Today there's a choice. We can't pretend we are forced. Now there are many MUCH better things. And if we intentionally choose hardware which enforces the use of something bad to start with, when we could put all kinds of things on all kinds of hardware today - it isn't because we were forced but because we are stupid. People with experience use Javascript because they have to in order to program the browser (due to a completely artificial monopoly) and they have the ability to adapt to it. Maybe they even develop stockholm syndrome and forget all the ways it's broken and missing basic capabilities. But that doesn't mean it's a good choice among starting languages when we have a free choice.