Update non state variable in React useEffect - reactjs

Question

I have an application the receives new data over a WebSocket every second. Each second I receive 10 to 15 messages that I need to store in and display. I am currently updating a state array each time I receive new data but the effect is that I re-render the screen 10 to 15 times per second.
What I want to achieve is to store the incoming data in an array but only update the screen once every second.
My approach that I can't get working is to create a non-state array that is updated when new data is received and copy that data to a state array every second with a timer.
This is the declaration of the state array:
const [boatData2, _setBoatData2] = useState({});
const boatDataRef = useRef(boatData2);
const setBoatData2 = (update) => {
boatDataRef.current = update;
_setBoatData2(update);
}
This is the hook code where the data is received:
useEffect(() => {
if (!ws.current) return;
ws.current.onmessage = e => {
setDataFlowing(true);
setDataAge(0);
setScreenUpdates(screenUpdates => screenUpdates + 1);
//console.log('New Data');
const message = JSON.parse(e.data);
if (message.updates && message.updates.values) {
message.updates[0].values.forEach(obj => {
let newPath = obj.path.split('.').join("");
const update = {
path: obj.path,
value: obj.value,
timestamp: message.updates[0].timestamp,
valid: true,
age: 0,
};
now = Date.parse(message.updates[0].timestamp);
setBoatData2({ ...boatDataRef.current, [newPath]: update });
});
}
};
}, []);
This is the code that runs every second:
useEffect(() => {
let interval = null;
if (isActive) {
interval = setInterval(() => {
setSeconds(seconds => seconds + 1);
let boatdata = boatData2;
//console.log(boatData3);
Object.values(boatdata).forEach(val => {
val.age = val.age + 1;
if (val.age > 30) {
val.valid = false;
}
});
setBoatData2(boatdata);
setDataAge(dataAge => dataAge + 1);
if (dataAge > 60) {
setDataFlowing(false);
}
}, 1000);
} else if (!isActive && seconds !== 0) {
clearInterval(interval);
}
return () => clearInterval(interval);
}, [isActive, seconds, boatData2]);

Answer 1

You can do this with the help of useRef .
const messageRef = useRef([]);
This creates a object inside messageRef called current which we can mutate and mutating it will not trigger a re-render. Now your messageRef will be something like this
{
current: []
}
Now whenever you get the message from the websocket push the message into this ref as
messageRef.current.push(your message)
Now inside your function which updates the state after some xyz second . You can use this Ref to update the state
setYourMessages(messageRef.current);
messageRef.current = []; // do this after you state update call. Else you will be pushing duplicate messages into the state