The science of ‘brain rot’: What impact does short-form content have on the brain?

We’re all guilty of it: mindlessly scrolling through our phones, consuming content which is no more than a minute long. In fact, this is so common that the use of the word ‘brain rot’ has become part of everyday language. Oxford’s 2024 word of the year, ‘brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging”. The first recorded use of the term is in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, published in 1854, in which he discussed his experiences of living a simple lifestyle in the natural world. Part of his conclusion critiques society’s tendency to devalue complex ideas in favour of simple ones. Unfortunately, things have only gone downhill since Thoreau’s assessment. We are all completely hooked by our algorithms – apps like TikTok even implement psychological conditioning techniques which are also used in gambling, making them more addictive. People are consuming short-form content on their screens more than ever before; scientists cannot help but ask if this is in some way damaging our brains.

The researchers also found functional brain differences when tracking the students’ brain activity whilst asleep, such as a greater synchronisation of activity within multiple areas of the brain

One group of scientists conducted a study at Tianjin Normal University in China. The researchers scanned the brains of undergraduate students and had them complete a questionnaire about online watching habits. They found that those who felt the most attached to short videos had more grey matter in their orbitofrontal cortex (a region near the front of the brain involved in decision-making and emotional regulation) and cerebellum (a structure at the back of the brain that plays a role in movement and emotions). The team said that having an oversized orbitofrontal cortex could indicate “heightened sensitivity to the rewards and stimuli associated with short video content”.

The researchers also found functional brain differences when tracking the students’ brain activity whilst asleep, such as a greater synchronisation of activity within multiple areas of the brain. They believed this could reflect problems like struggling to disengage from videos and tendencies for social comparison while watching them. Finally, the researchers found that many of the links between video addiction and brain differences were also connected to higher levels of envy. Now, it is important to put these results into context. First, there was no before-and-after comparison in the study to show cause and effect. Second, the researchers framed increased synchronisation as a negative effect, but it is inherently neither good nor bad.

Naturally, the more time we spend in front of screens, the less time we have for productive, enjoyable hobbies and face-to-face human interactions, which help young brains develop

So, this study may not provide reliable results to show that short-form content has a direct physical effect on the brain. However, an analysis of data from the largest long-term child brain development study in the US concluded that “adolescents who spend greater amounts of time in front of screens may be more likely to experience mental health issues” and it could be that it is not the time spent in front of screens itself, but the activities and hobbies that it replaces which cause the most harm. Naturally, the more time we spend in front of screens, the less time we have for productive, enjoyable hobbies and face-to-face human interactions, which help young brains develop.

Another study explored the causes and effects of brain rot, and focusing on the overuse of social media, video games, and other digital platforms. In their findings, they concluded that brain rot leads to emotional desensitisation, cognitive overload, and a negative self-concept. Behaviours like doomscrolling are linked with psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. This overconsumption may lead to mental fatigue, which could build up and make cognitive abilities worsen over time.

Most students agreed that the type of content they consume on social media (lifestyle and politics were among the most common types) has a negative impact on their self-image

So, it is clear that spending too much time on screens, particularly social media, is detrimental to our mental health. It remains to be seen whether it has a direct impact on our physical brain health. I asked some students at our very own University of Warwick what their experiences are like consuming short-form content on social media. Only one out of six students described their mood as “good” after consuming short-form videos, with another having felt no difference. The others were overwhelmingly negative, describing their moods as “disoriented and regretful” and even “soulless”. Most students agreed that the type of content they consume on social media (lifestyle and politics were among the most common types) has a negative impact on their self-image. One highlighted that it can “decrease my motivation when I see influencers doing nothing and making millions”, which suggests that social media encourages negative comparisons. But some highlighted that it can provide healthy motivation if you are already working towards a goal.

While this is a concerning by-product of spending time consuming short-form social media content, the good news is that our ability to focus is never set in stone

Students also commonly thought that time spent on social media negatively impacted their focus. One student wrote that they can’t focus on an in-person lecture and has to watch a sped-up version of the recording later on to stay engaged. While this is a concerning by-product of spending time consuming short-form social media content, the good news is that our ability to focus is never set in stone. In her book Focus, Emma Louth Als outlines that our ability to focus is a skill that we can build up over time. If you feel as though your attention span is particularly bad, she recommends spending one hour in the evening focusing on something that is enjoyable to you, with no distractions, and building it up from there. Just as we cannot run a marathon without practice, our brains cannot focus on studying for long periods of time without training. So even if your ability to focus is bad right now, you have the ability to build it back up.

Finally, I asked students if they have strategies to combat brain rot. Some were simple, like turning phones off or putting them in a drawer. Others mentioned that they downloaded apps which block social media at chosen times. One such example is Opal, which creates semi-permanent locks on your most distracting apps and allows limited daily unlocks. They also give you a report every week. You have to pay to unlock premium features, but they offer a 50% discount to students. For free options, the apps One Sec and Screen Zen force you to pause before opening apps and only allow you to open them a certain number of times.

To conclude, there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that ‘brain rot’ content, like short-form videos, is having a direct biological impact on our brains. This type of content has been in circulation for such a short time that perhaps we need more long-term studies to determine the full extent of its impacts on us. However, it does lower our productivity, attention span, and mood and means we spend less time doing things that are more beneficial to us. Most students I asked thought that consuming this content was negative and had thought of a solution to control its usage. Perhaps, one day, long-form content will become more popular again.