The term “Brain rot” was voted Oxford word of the year 2024. If it can be translated as “brain rot”, it more specifically refers to “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, considered notably as the result of an overconsumption of content (now particularly online content) considered trivial or not very stimulating. And it would be a real phenomenon.
Several studies have shown that heavy consumption of trivial content – sensationalist information, conspiracy theories, bottomless entertainment – can affect our cognitive abilities. “The term “rot” is perhaps not so exaggerated when it comes to describing the impact of poor quality online content,” judges the Spanish daily El País, which devotes an article to it. Watching this type of content can, among other things, reduce gray matter, shorten attention span and deteriorate memory.
Researcher Michael Moshel participated in a study in 2023. Questioned by the Spanish media, he explains that scrolling videos, that is to say chaining them together, as is the case on TikTok and Instagram, “can considerably alter attention and executive functions by overwhelming our focus and altering how we perceive and respond to the world.”
No wonder generations who use social media are finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on a single task. What is problematic (…)
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