What is the stale closure problem in React hooks and how can it be avoided?

Question

React Developer — Hard

What is the stale closure problem in React hooks and how can it be avoided?

Accepted Answer

The stale closure problem in React hooks occurs when a hook callback captures an outdated value from a previous render, leading to unexpected behavior. This can be avoided by ensuring all referenced values are included in the dependency array or using useRef for mutable values.