Why React Developers Are Moving Away From useEffect in Modern Apps

A software developer argues that useEffect is widely overused in React applications, often applied to problems that simpler alternatives can solve more cleanly. Common misuses include deriving state, mirroring props, and filtering lists inside effects, all of which cause unnecessary re-renders and multiple sources of truth. For data fetching, modern libraries like TanStack Query and SWR now handle caching, retries, and loading states far more efficiently than manual effect-based fetching. The author recommends reserving useEffect for genuine external system interactions such as WebSockets, timers, and browser APIs. Splitting large components with many effects into smaller, focused hooks or components is also suggested as a practical way to reduce effect clutter.