React Hooks - using useState vs just variables

The reason is if you useState it rerenders the view. Variables by themselves only change bits in memory and the state of your app can get out of sync with the view.

Compare this examples:

function Foo() {
    const [a, setA] = useState(0);
    return <div onClick={() => setA(a + 1)}>{a}</div>;
}

function Foo() {
    let a = 0;
    return <div onClick={() => a + 1}>{a}</div>;
}

In both cases a changes on click but only when you use useState the view correctly shows a's current value.

Local variables will get reset every render upon mutation whereas state will update:

function App() {
  let a = 0; // reset to 0 on render/re-render
  const [b, setB] = useState(0);

  return (
    <div className="App">
      <div>
        {a}
        <button onClick={() => a++}>local variable a++</button>
      </div>
      <div>
        {b}
        <button onClick={() => setB(prevB => prevB + 1)}>
          state variable b++
        </button>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}