Overusing useState Is Slowing Your React Apps, Developers Warned

A developer guide published on DEV Community highlights a common React anti-pattern where too many component values are stored in useState, causing unnecessary re-renders. The article identifies three main culprits: derived values that should be computed with useMemo, values only used in event handlers that belong in a useRef, and form fields that rarely need to be controlled inputs. The author argues that useState should only hold values React genuinely needs to track for rendering, not every variable in a component. Alternatives like useRef, closure variables, and reading form data on submit are recommended for cases where re-renders add no benefit. The core takeaway is that avoiding unnecessary state is a more effective performance strategy than memoizing expensive renders after the fact.