Linked lists can be helpful for organizing data, but they also come with some big challenges. Let’s break down what those challenges are.

1. Memory Use:

   • Linked lists use more memory because they keep track of extra information called pointers for each piece of data, or node. This can waste space and make things less efficient.

2. Tricky Operations:

   • Adding or removing items from a linked list can be easier, but it can also get complicated.
   • In a doubly linked list, which tracks data in two directions, you have to be very careful when adjusting the pointers.
   • If you don’t update these pointers correctly, it can lead to mistakes or bugs.

3. Slower Access:

   • Finding items in a linked list is slower than in an array.
   • In an array, you can jump right to where you need to look ($O(1)$ time), but in a linked list, you have to go through each node one by one, which takes longer ($O(n)$ time).

To deal with these challenges, it’s really important to understand how linked lists work and to test things carefully. Creating helper functions for common tasks can make things easier and help avoid errors.