New Study Shows That Social Media Over Consumption Is Leading to Poorer Cognition
Doomscrolling has turned into America’s favorite pastime, but it might be doing more than tanking your mental health. A new study revealed that the constant consumption of short-form videos (SFVs) is giving us brain rot. The American Psychological Association (APA) found that SFVs are negatively impacting both youths and adults alike. The study specifically pointed to platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Too much social media consumption is giving people brain rot
A new study from the American Psychological Association (APA) examines the effect of over consumption of social media has on the human brain. According to the study, the over consumption of short-form videos (SFVs) is linked to the gradual decline in cognitive endurance.
The over exposure to the rapid stimulation on social media leads to a desensitization to “slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning.” The APA synthesized the data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies.
The APA study ties poorer cognition, decreased attention span, and increased stress and anxiety to spending too much time on social media.
“The continuous cycle of swiping and receiving new, emotionally stimulating content has been proposed to trigger dopamine release, creating a reinforcement loop that contributes to patterns of habitual use and greater emotional reliance on digital interactions,” the study finds.
The negative effects are impacting teenagers
The world is currently grappling with what to do about social media exposure for teenagers. Adolescents have unfettered access to social media, and several studies have pointed to the downfalls of teenagers on social media. Low self-esteem, bad body image, and mental health struggles have all been attributed to teenagers using social media.
According to the Surgeon General, 95 percent of teenagers aged 13-17 are currently on social media. One-third of them reported using social media constantly. Furthermore, the Surgeon General’s Advisory from 2023 found that 40 percent of children 8-12 are on social media. The minimum age for social media is technically 13, but that hasn’t stopped younger children from gaining access.
A different study by the APA found that teenagers are using social media on average almost 5 hours a day. According to the Pew Research Center, teenagers are using YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram the most. YouTube is the clear leader, with nine-in-ten teens saying that they use the platform widely.
Some countries are considering legislation that would ban everyone from using social media until they are 16. For those already on platforms, they can download their data, preserve and deactivate their platforms, or they can delete them.
