I am not a technologist, let alone a programmer, just an investor and trader.
What do I need to know about Ethereum's high gas fees? I'm hearing some say that this could sink Ethereum. How exagerrated is that?
That's exaggerated. They've said the same thing with bitcoin before. If you're a trader and you mostly transfer from time to time, it will disappoint you to transfer because of the fees.
But if you're just a holder and investor, it's not that much issue because if the value increases, the fee isn't a lot if you've got a lot in hold. But if you're just holding a small amount, it's just the same as the traders concern.