Or maybe it's the other way around?
solar22, Shutterstock
"Brain rot" was named Oxford Word of the Year in 2024 (which makes me slightly unsettled because it's two words, not one, at least in Oxford's dictionary), with the memes spreading mostly through short-form videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
But what if they actually rot your brain? New research by the American Psychological Association links short videos to declines in cognition and mental health.
It collected data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies and concluded that high short-form video (SFV) consumption is associated with poorer cognition, particularly attention.
"Repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning."
Watching short videos is also associated with decreased mental health: increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. "The highly engaging, algorithm-driven nature of SFV platforms is thought to encourage excessive use by stimulating the brain’s dopaminergic reward system, which may reinforce habitual engagement through instant gratification and unpredictable content rewards."
Researchers think that watching emotionally stimulating content triggers dopamine release, "creating a reinforcement loop that contributes to patterns of habitual use and greater emotional reliance on digital interactions." These habits may lead to more stress and anxiety, and some participants report difficulties disengaging and regulating their emotions offline.
However, SFV consumption has its benefits, as it's not linked to body image or self-esteem problems, likely because of its diverse nature.
"Further research is therefore needed to clarify how different types of content exposure may shape these associations. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the broader health implications of SFV use, given its pervasive role in daily life and potential to impact health, behavior, and well-being."
The authors are careful not to say short videos cause all these negative effects; they are just associated. This is important because, in my opinion, the correlation might be twisted, and the results mean that people with worse cognition and mental health simply prefer this format of entertainment, thus the conclusions. To see the truth, we will need further research.
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