Break It: Scrolling on TikTok Can Cause 'Brain Rot' 0 9

Last year, 'brain rot' was recognized as the word of the year by the Oxford Dictionary. This term reflected concerns about the consequences of 'excessive consumption of low-quality online content, especially on social media.'

Now, recent findings from the American Psychological Association confirm that brain rot is not only real and not just a side effect of memes: it is a genuine neurocognitive syndrome that causes significant harm.

The study titled 'Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use' directly links short-form video content (SFV) from algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to 'brain rot.'

Researchers analyzed data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies and found that the more a person watches short content, the worse their cognitive performance in terms of attention and inhibitory control.

And people watch a lot of videos, as the review states that young people spend an average of 6.5 hours online each day.

The study states:

'According to this concept, repeated exposure to highly stimulating, rapidly changing content may contribute to habituation, whereby users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem-solving, or deep learning.'

Habituation stimulates the brain's reward system, which, according to the study, reinforces habitual use, potentially leading to 'social isolation, decreased life satisfaction, and even self-esteem and body image issues.' As if that weren't enough, increased platform use is also associated with poorer sleep, heightened anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.

In short, excessive exposure to low-quality digital content has a noticeable impact on our brain's functioning. The more you watch short videos on platforms like TikTok, the more your attention span diminishes, which in turn affects your mental health and critical thinking.

'Overall, these findings underscore the importance of understanding the broader implications of SFV consumption for health, given its ubiquitous role in daily life and its potential impact on health, behavior, and well-being,' the researchers write.

'Summarizing the existing data, this work lays the groundwork for future research aimed at exploring under-researched areas of health (e.g., cognitive health, physical health) and offers ideas to guide public discussions and the development of evidence-based approaches to promote more balanced SFV use.'

So, suspect you might be suffering from cognitive atrophy? Maybe give the dopamine feedback a break and pick up a book? At least, we’re trying to do that.