Modern JavaScript from the Beginning - Second Edition - Section Introduction-Fetch API and Async / Await

The video tutorial introduces asynchronous JavaScript, focusing on the Fetch API and async/await syntax. It contrasts the older XML HTTP request method with the modern Fetch API for handling data from sources like JSON files and public APIs. The tutorial explains how to perform various HTTP requests using the Fetch API and introduces async/await as a preferred syntax for handling promises, compared to the traditional dot then method. The instructor expresses a preference for async/await and plans to use it more in the course. The video concludes with a preview of the next lesson on the basics of the Fetch API.

What is the purpose of the async/await syntax in JavaScript?

Why does the teacher prefer async/await over the .then syntax?