BRAIN ROT

Brain Rot is the Oxford word of the year 2024. It refers to the deterioration of a person's mental and intellectual state as the result of over consumption of online content.

The term increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024.

Brain rot is a condition of mental fatigue, lethargy, reduced attention span, and cognitive decline that results from overabundance of screen time.

Scrolling spikes the neurochemical dopamine, which produces feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.

The brain associates scrolling with a feeling of gratification; in this way, scrolling becomes a behavioral addiction. Brain Rot Behavior includes video gaming (Gaming Disorder), Zombie scrolling, Doom Scrolling, and Social Media addiction.

The Study conducted by the National Library of Medicine (Seydi Ahmet Satici, Begum Satici)

Doom Scrolling is associated with personality traits, psychological distress, Social Media Use, and well-being.

The Study reveals that increased time of doom scrolling is associated with lower mental well-being and higher levels of psychological distress.

Constant over stimulation leads to reduced attention span and disrupts the brain's capacity to encode and retain information.

Brain rot has a significant negative impact on executive functions like planning, Organization, working memory, and problem-solving.

Ways to Prevent Brain Rot:

Mental and Emotional Well-being improves when we control screen time.

Setting up screen time

Deleting Distracting Apps

Don't use and consume content before bed

Maintaining a balanced world perspective

Unfollow the accounts that generate anxious feelings

Structure time each day

Connect offline with positive people

A study on 18-25-year-olds found that young adults had the lowest level of depressive symptoms when they enjoyed more offline emotional support.

School of Communication, Greenville, US. Kaitlyn Longest, Social Media, Social Support and Mental Health of Young Adults.

Digital Detox

The final goal is to build real-life, hands-on connections and replace virtual experiences.

Written By : P. MEENAKSHI, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST.