John Naughton observes:
Over the last decade, the size of web pages (measured in kilobytes) has more than septupled. From 2003 to 2011, the average web page grew from 93.7kB to over 679kB.
The article in which this statistic is presented has drawn some fire from the design community, as Naughton is in favor of minimalism while designers claim the added items improve the user experience. The statistic itself if good, but what it implies (and the author goes on to state) is that the additional weight comes from elements the clutter and junk up the user interface.
An opposing view from Craig Grannell (quoting someone else):
Good design isn't about being flashy – it considers the content and aims to present it in a way that aids comprehension rather than detracts from it. Good design also concerns itself with how services are to be used, and will often focus on making them as simple and easy to use as possible. That doesn't mean stripping away all design. Instead it means making sensible choices around layout, positioning, and legibility.
Ultimately, both sides seem to be taking extremes rather than a sensible position more toward the center: not all design is bloat, but neither is all design essential or even helpful - it's defies assessment in the aggregate, but must be considered case by case.