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Can't you just use the spacing properties of the container? Like flexbox's space-around and space- between?

You can, however the lack of constraints on the spacing can make it difficult to match strict design systems. The dependence the spacing creates on the parent & child dimensions can lead to undesirable edge cases as well for dynamic/responsive content.

The opposite would be the intent and the goal. Align design system language WITH your spacer components ensuring strict adherence. Layout components work and they don't have performance issues.

I think we agree here. The argument I am making is that spacer components that introduce DOM bloat can negatively impact large apps, especially on low power devices.

A layout component does not have to introduce DOM bloat, it could apply layout directly via CSS to it's children. Layout components in this regard are incredibly helpful.

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