Is brain rot real? Here's what brain health experts say
Distracting behaviours, yes. But can they actually rot a person's brain?
Last year, Oxford University Press designated "brain rot" as its word of the year, defining it as the "supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state" caused by overconsuming "trivial or unchallenging" material found on social media and other online platforms.
"It's what happens when you consume too much low-quality online content, which is like junk food for the brain," said Dr. Andreana Benitez, an associate professor in the department of neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
But whether that content is actually harming the brain – and how – remains unclear.
Screen habits can shape health
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of teenagers in the US spend four hours or more looking at screens each day, and global estimates suggest adults may be online an average of more than six hours per day. There are no federal health guidelines for how many hours of daily screen time are appropriate for teens or adults.
Researchers lack sufficient data to fully understand the concept of brain rot and what it might lead to. "There really isn't a coherent science around it," Benitez said.
There is, however, CDC data showing that 1 in 4 teenage frequent scrollers report feeling anxious or depressed.
Some research suggests problems with heavy online use may begin quite young. Adolescents who spend greater amounts of time in front of screens may be more likely to experience mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, and related physical symptoms such as pain, dizziness or nausea. That's according to a 2024 analysis of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the largest long-term child brain development study in the US
Other studies have potentially linked brain rot to emotional desensitization, cognitive overload, negative self-worth and impaired executive function skills, including memory, planning and decision-making.
Rethinking our digital diet
While there's no evidence that hours of daily screen time are changing the structure of the human brain, it's what's not happening during those hours that could be harmful, especially for young people whose brains are still developing, said Dr. Costantino Iadecola, director and chair of Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
The more time young people spend in front of screens, the less time they spend being physically active or having the face-to-face human interactions that supply the developing brain with critical complex sensory and emotional input, he said.
"Brain development requires diversity of exposures," Iadecola said. "When you are on your phone, you are not getting these other experiences. We are substituting artificial interactions for human interactions, and artificial interactions lack the complexity of the human experience – the verbal, sensory and emotional reactions we have after interacting with people."
It's not just screen time that matters – it's also screen content, Benitez said.
"If you consume excessive amounts of low-quality online content, you are more likely to be exposed to information that might distort your perception of reality and harm your mental health," she said.
Cycling through large amounts of negative content can also leave a person mentally exhausted, she said.
But how much is too much has yet to be determined, Benitez said. Sticking to her junk food analogy, she likened short periods of screen time to the occasional junk food snack.
"One bag of chips might not be that bad, but if you're eating three at a time, that might be a problem," she said.
How to have smarter screen time
Helping kids – and adults – consume a healthier online diet isn't easy, Benitez said, because so much of modern life, from schoolwork to shopping, entertainment and socialising, involves online applications.
"With kids, screens are a part of their lives," she said. "It's how they get a lot of information."
But, she said, "it's incumbent upon adults to curate the content, make sure they are consuming content that's good for them and in a way that does not result in mental fatigue. We need to make sure they are engaging in critical thinking as they engage with screens."
For both children and grown-ups, Benitez also cautioned against scrolling before bedtime. "Consuming arousing information and being exposed to light when your body should be winding down for sleep might affect your sleep," she said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests families develop screen-time plans together and encourage usage that builds creativity and connections with family and friends. It also suggests parents emphasize the importance of offline activities such as sports, music, art and other hobbies.
The AAP also notes that some screen use may be "healthy and positive," a point both Benitez and Iadecola agreed with.
"You could be consuming good content," Benitez said. "There's a value judgment in this."
Iadecola suggested making sure online usage is "purpose-appropriate. It's OK to use the technology for whatever task is at hand. The problem is when it becomes addictive behaviour. Everything in moderation." – American Heart Association News/Tribune News Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
2 days ago
- Sinar Daily
School bullying forces girl to seek medication for depression and anxiety
The abuse later extended into her school life, where she was ostracised and humiliated. A psychiatrist later confirmed that the victim suffered from major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder and prescribed medication to assist in her recovery. Photo for illustrative purposes. IPOH – A father has opened up about his daughter's harrowing experience of being bullied online and at school, which pushed her into a severe state of depression and anxiety that required medication for her recovery. According to her father, Aniq Iskandar, 47, the Ipoh boarding school Form One student was relentlessly targeted through cruel messages on WhatsApp and Instagram during the Movement Control Order. The abuse later extended into her school life, where she was ostracised and humiliated. 'The cause of the incident was unclear until a misunderstanding occurred, which led her to being flooded with various messages from unknown numbers and accounts. It did not end there, as she was also ostracised and received negative stares once she returned to school,' he said. Aniq added that the situation worsened when the school failed to protect his daughter, despite being aware of the bully's identity. 'My daughter knew who her bully was, and in this case, when it was reported to the school, it seemed as though they sided with the bully because the perpetrator had connections with them,' he said. Struggling with her mental health, the young student was taken for private counselling where a psychiatrist diagnosed her with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. She was then prescribed medication to help with her recovery. 'With the specialist's advice, the decision to change schools and environment was the best step for her recovery and eventually brought a major improvement to her mental health,' Aniq said. Since moving to a new school, the once-withdrawn girl has transformed into a top student. She now shines in public speaking, serves as a moderator and has even represented her school at national and state-level competitions.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Cycle syncing: When women time their workouts to their menstrual cycle
Professional footballer Lucy Bronze, a member of the English women's national team and London-based Chelsea FC Women, has unlocked a secret for peak performance on the pitch. 'There's a phase in my menstrual cycle when I'm physically capable of doing more and can train even harder – it's insane,' she told the magazine Women's Health UK in the run-up to the 2025 UEFA European Women's Championship. 'Men, they're just this baseline the whole time, whereas we can 'periodise' training around the four phases of the cycle and get a lot of benefit. 'Research is quite low level at the minute, but it's like I've been given a superpower for a week.' England later won the Euro 2025 championship, with Bronze playing the entire tournament with a fractured tibia. Hyped by social media The four phases of the menstrual cycle are: The follicular phase: When follicles in the ovaries grow and a mature egg forms Ovulation: When an ovary releases the egg The luteal phase: When the egg travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, and Menstruation: When the lining of the uterus sheds through the vagina if the egg isn't fertilised. Sometimes, the menstrual cycle is divided into two phases: the follicular, which begins with the first day of menstruation and ends with ovulation, and the luteal, which runs from ovulation to menstruation. Many women besides Bronze are convinced that it pays to adjust sports training, and possibly diet too, to align with the different phases of their menstrual cycle and the associated hormonal fluctuations – a practice known as cycle syncing. A major role is played by social media, on which female influencers and athletes relate their experiences with it and give their followers tips and plans. Instagram and TikTok posts under the hashtag #cyclesyncing get hundreds of thousands of clicks and are often shared. In a survey earlier this year (2025) by the German statutory health insurance company KKH, 76% of the respondents reported that adjusting their lifestyle to the phases of their menstrual cycle had a positive effect on their physical and emotional well-being. Some say yes One possible reason why some women feel that cycle syncing works for them is the effects of hormonal fluctuations during the various phases of the menstrual cycle. — Elara Care/Wikimedia Commons Is cycle syncing mainly a product of social media hype or truly a worthwhile practice? Germany's University of Freiburg professor of sport psychology Dr Jana Strahler says, 'It's definitely been researched and has arrived in competitive sport.' The degree to which menstrual cycle-based training has taken hold depends on the discipline, but there's an awareness of the need to take the menstrual cycle into account, she says. Although female athletes' competition schedule can't be cycle-synced, their pre-competition workouts can, she notes. 'Adjusting sports training to your menstrual cycle is a fundamental development, and it pays off,' she says, noting that the primary female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, whose levels fluctuate greatly during the cycle, affect energy levels, the immune system, metabolism and more. Female recreational athletes could also profit from cycle syncing, she says. 'The most important thing is to track your cycle.' While the first half of the menstrual cycle – the follicular phase – is suited to intensive strength training, according to Prof Strahler, maintenance workouts or light endurance training is advisable in the second half. And during your period itself? 'Whatever does you good,' she says. While some women don't feel like doing sports at all during menstrual bleeding, for others, the increased circulation and cardiovascular activity during sporting activity relieves menstrual cramps. ALSO READ: Women, you can work out during your period, but only if you feel like it Some say no In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 78 studies, published in the journal Sports Medicine , British researchers concluded that 'exercise performance might be trivially reduced during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle'. They describe the menstrual cycle as divided into three phases: The early follicular phase: Characterised by low oestrogen and progesterone The ovulatory phase: Charac-terised by high oestrogen and low progesterone, and The mid-luteal phase: Characterised by high oestrogen and progesterone. Due to the 'low' quality of evidence and 'trivial effect' on exercise performance indicated, they said no general guidelines could be formed and therefore recommended a 'personalised approach' in adjusting exercise to menstrual cycle phases. A Canadian-British study published in the Journal of Physiology , involving just 12 participants, found that menstrual cycle phase didn't influence muscle-building. 'Our data show no greater anabolic effect of resistance exercise in the follicular vs the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle,' the authors say. Lead author Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple noted that many women may not know in which phase their hormone levels change and when each phase begins and ends, which unnecessarily complicates any adjustments of their sports training. She added that cycle syncing ignored the variability of menstrual cycle duration, the timing of ovulation and differences in hormone fluctuations – both from woman to woman, as well as from cycle to cycle. Involving the diet Despite the inconsistent findings, cycle syncing has been practised in competitive sport for several years now. Chelsea FC Women is a pioneer in this area: In 2020, the football club started using a specialist app to tailor their training programme around players' menstrual cycles in an attempt to enhance performance and cut down on injuries. Cycle syncing can include diet too. A New Zealand review of published literature on dietary energy intake in various phases of the menstrual cycle found that it appears to be greater in the luteal phase, compared with the follicular phase overall, with the lowest intake likely during the late follicular and ovulatory phases. Writing in the journal Nutrition Reviews , the researchers caution, however, that the number of studies that have specifically researched these phases is limited, and phase-related differences in energy intake most likely vary both between individuals and from cycle to cycle. As for specific food recommendations, Prof Strahler says anti-inflammatory items – e.g. linseed, salmon and walnuts – as well as warm dishes, could be helpful during menstruation, while protein and whole grain products are well-suited for the first phase in the cycle. It's normal, she adds, that a woman's appetite is greater during the luteal phase – shortly before menstruation – when their body can require 100 to 300 more calories per day. Those aren't hard and fast requirements though, she says, but guidelines that every woman can try out for herself. – By Larissa Schwedes/dpa
Sinar Daily
4 days ago
- Sinar Daily
Millions tune in as robot reveals vibrant life in South Atlantic deep sea
MAR DEL PLATA - A robot explores the dark, cold, deep sea floor of the South Atlantic, transmitting images of vibrant coral and fish never seen before as scientists give live commentary via YouTube. And Argentines can't get enough of it. The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name. The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology. In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, "Do we want it?" "Yes, yes, we want it!" reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study. "Oh, I love these little creatures," says one user. "I'm obsessed!" comments another. "Don't take the little one away!" pleads a third. When the live stream began it exceeded one million views per day, before it also began to be broadcast on television. "There are cold-water corals with the same colors as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 meters!" Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP. - Patrick Star - The 20-day expedition "Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon" involves 25 scientists -- most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET. Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it was due to end on August 10. Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's "Falkor (too)" ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 meters (14,700 feet). They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images. "The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity," explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement. "Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life." Social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Memes circulated joking that "Patrick is Argentine," marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers. "I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?" asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat. Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed "Drag Queen," and a sea cucumber was fondly called "Sweet Potato." - 'Beacon of light' - This is the first time that human eyes -- albeit remotely -- have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Falkland Current and warm, salty Brazil Current converge. The confluence is "one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean," according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora. "We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviors that surprise even the most experienced scientists," said Lauretta. But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina. CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous "chainsaw." Its budget fell by 21 percent last year, salaries have plummeted by 35 percent since Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists. As a result, in between "oohs" and "aahs" of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: "Long live Conicet!". "Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive," said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign. "This is happening at a very difficult time," he told AFP of the popular broadcast. "Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources." "The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light." - AFP
