What potential pitfalls can arise when implementing form validation in PHP, as indicated by the user's experience with the layout distortion?

The potential pitfall that can arise when implementing form validation in PHP, as indicated by the user's experience with layout distortion, is that error messages generated during validation can disrupt the layout of the form, making it difficult for users to understand and correct their mistakes. To solve this issue, you can display the error messages next to the corresponding form fields instead of above or below them.

<form method="post" action="process_form.php">
  <label for="username">Username:</label>
  <input type="text" id="username" name="username">
  <?php if(isset($errors['username'])) { echo '<span style="color:red;">'.$errors['username'].'</span>'; } ?>

  <label for="password">Password:</label>
  <input type="password" id="password" name="password">
  <?php if(isset($errors['password'])) { echo '<span style="color:red;">'.$errors['password'].'</span>'; } ?>

  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>