Questão 11 - IDOMED Medicina (edital 2) 2025/1

BRAIN ROT

 

Anna Tyzack
December 20, 2024 

 

    While not a clinical diagnosis, the term “brain rot” captures the burnt out feeling that follows an online scrolling session. The brain is exposed to far more information and demands than it can handle without proper breaks, which over time leads to difficult concentration, poor memory and emotional exhaustion. If we are finding it hard to focus, feeling a bit low and having a memory like a sieve, chances are we need a break – a screen break. Brain rot, the colloquial term used to describe excessive consumption of low-quality online content, particularly short videos on social media, has become so mainstream that it was voted Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024.

    Content demands and digital distractions are leaving us feeling mentally burnt out. When our brain is under stress it acts like a computer with too many tabs open – it slows down, overheats and struggles to function effectively. This can affect our performance at school, university or work and lead to relationship issues and struggles with mental health and addictions. It can also be compared to “fast food”. In the past we used to have to hunt and gather food, but today we can get information whenever we want through artificial intelligence or video content as fast as we get fast food, and our brains are suffering the consequences. This happens because the brain actually prefers focused, intellectual engagement and if we want to keep it healthy, we need to be aware of this and change our behavior accordingly.

    Digital media traps us in a reward system, with each ‘like’, share, or engaging article triggering the brain to release the feel-good hormone, dopamine. Clicking on a funny short video or interesting headline gives a dopamine hit, but this content is so quickly digestible that you instantly want another, so you keep scrolling, creating a feedback loop. In the short term, we feel happy and engaged, but in the long term this kind of dopamine-driven behavior affects critical thinking and higher order cognitive function.

    Doom scrolling also impairs our memory and ability to solve problems, as we’re constantly living in our limbic brain which processes emotions. A 2018 study by psychologists at Stanford University found that those who engage with multiple social media platforms at once perform worse on memory tasks. The hippocampus, the part of our brain that creates and retains new memories, is not stimulated by repetitive content and we are also not using our prefrontal cortex, which deals with future planning, problem solving and personality development. In this case, a digital detox with no access to your favorite platforms is the most effective way to reset brain function and improve emotional wellbeing, but this is easier said than done given that our screens are how we work and socialize.

    All in all, the key is to follow a healthy digital diet, taking regular screen breaks and carving out tech-free spaces in the day. We should also aim to promote brain health by eating healthily and mindfully, with no screens at the dinner table, and taking time to exercise, which increases blood flow to the brain. The more we rely on tech, the more sedentary we are. It’s about noticing the impact of digital media on our brain and finding a way to relieve stress. A bath, a walk with a friend and small screen-free pauses can make a big difference to how our brain works and how we feel.

Available at: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/brain-rot-modern-life-turning-070000390.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall. Access in: 6 jan. 2025. (Adapted).

“Brain rot, an excessive consumption of low-quality online content, particularly short videos on social media, has become so mainstream that this term was voted Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024.”

 

The use of the underlined word above points to the fact that the problem of “brain rot” has become