What impact does the use of unset() have on session variables in PHP scripts and how can it be optimized?

When using unset() on session variables in PHP scripts, it removes the specified variable from the session. However, it does not destroy the entire session. To optimize the use of unset() on session variables, it is recommended to first check if the variable exists before unsetting it to avoid potential errors.

session_start();

if(isset($_SESSION['variable_name'])) {
    unset($_SESSION['variable_name']);
}