What is the significance of using functions like htmlspecialchars() in PHP for displaying content with special characters?

When displaying content with special characters in PHP, it is important to use functions like htmlspecialchars() to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. This function converts special characters like <, >, ", ', and & into their HTML entities, ensuring that the content is displayed as intended without being interpreted as HTML or script code by the browser.

// Example of using htmlspecialchars() to display content safely
$content = "<script>alert('XSS attack!');</script>";
echo htmlspecialchars($content);