Demystifying the New Dilemma of Brain Rot in the Digital Era: A Review
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Rapid narrative review synthesizing literature without meta-analysis or systematic trial evaluation
OpenAlex W4408170606 · doi:10.3390/brainsci15030283
What was done
This study conducted a rapid review of research published between 2023 and 2024 across PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. The authors explored the concept of "brain rot", defined as cognitive decline and mental exhaustion from excessive exposure to low-quality online content, focusing on associated digital behaviors, psychological factors, and cognitive outcomes.
What was found
The abstract provides no quantitative data, sample sizes, or effect estimates. Qualitatively, it reports that high exposure to low-quality digital media and dopamine-driven feedback loops is associated with emotional desensitization, cognitive overload, negative self-concept, doomscrolling, social media addiction, anxiety, and depression, as well as impairments in executive functioning skills such as memory, planning, and decision-making.
Why it matters
The review attempts to formalize and conceptualize the colloquial term "brain rot", summarizing emerging literature on how modern social media consumption patterns may interact with executive function and mental health in youth.
Limits
The abstract does not report the number of included studies, specific inclusion criteria, or any quantitative findings. The review spans only a two-year publication window (2023–2024), relies on rapid review methodology without formal risk-of-bias assessment reported, and cannot determine whether digital media use directly causes cognitive impairment.
Cited by
- supports The term 'brain rot' was named Oxford Word of the Year 2024.