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Is Social Media a Brain-Rotting Parasite?

Illustration by Erin Tu

Do you remember the groggy feeling that made your eyes heavy and mind very mushy? When you could hear dozens of your TikTok audios on repeat even though they were not playing?

You were probably high on social media, and now you’re getting the infamous “brain rot” as your hangover.

What’s a Social Media “Brain Rot”?

While it’s not a classified phenomenon, it refers to the feeling of mind fogginess or fatigue as an effect of spending too much time online. 

It’s impossible to separate ourselves from social media because we live in a digitalized time. It has changed the way we live our lives. If you go off social media, you might miss important messages or news. Maybe social media is an important part of your job. There are millions of reasons one can think of. But sometimes, it does take a toll on our mental health. For instance, when we unintentionally spend two hours scrolling on our favorite choice of social media. Obviously, none of us want to spend hours simply scrolling, so why do we end up doing it anyway?

social media brain rot
X/@shiralazar

The Answer is Your Delicious Delight, Dopamine.

The reason we get addicted to scrolling on social media is because it shows us similar content to what we have seen before.

But why does scrolling release dopamine? It shows you what you want to see. Social media shows you content similar to one before. So, if that meme made you crack up, why not have another small taste of it? An article by Kaitlin Woolley and Marissa A. Sharif explaining the psychology of scrolling stated, “When something feels more accessible, it becomes easier to process, leading us to anticipate that we will enjoy it more.”

Let me give you an example: remember Cardi B’s infamous mic throw at her concert? Obviously, I got this tea from TikTok. And somehow, I ended up in a long scroll trap leading me to know the pop culture tea about Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion.

Am I a pop culture fan? Not really.

Did I end up in a scrolling trap? Yes, I did.

Ending up in a scrolling trap on social media can be overwhelming, which would lead to the foggy feeling of brain rot.

At this point, if you are not wondering how social media impacts your brain and its functioning, I’d be surprised.

Impact of Social Media on our Brains

The increasing use of Social media has been impacting our cognitive functions like memory and attention, and we don’t even realize it. If I say social media has produced an immensely distracted generation, I would sound like your parent, and you will probably not read my article any further.

Before you pull away, there is a bit of truth in that statement. (keep scrolling for now!)

Research has found that multi-tasking makes us more prone to distractions. It’s in our field of expertise, switching between videos, texting, and emails. But how does that lead to distractions? Every time we switch between activities, like scrolling and texting, we are amused by a new stimulation. This produces dopamine, which makes the moment enjoyable. Repeatedly, this leads to changes in the grey matter in the prefrontal cortex in our brain, which is responsible for keeping us focused and retaining information. In day-to-day life, we don’t usually get that rush of dopamine, so our brain starts welcoming distractions. If you cook something for too long, it is going to burn, right? Then, how can our brains be any different?

Pexels/ fauxels

This consistent brain overstimulation, as research shows, not only leads to a reduced attention span but also affects our executive functioning skills, such as planning, organization, problem-solving, decision-making, and working memory.

I can’t even get myself to text my friend in my post-social media brain rot. Trying to organize something? No, thank you.

All of this does not sound healthy, right? But don’t worry—you can prevent this by detoxing from social media!

How can you Detox Yourself from Social Media?

You know it’s time to detox yourself from social media when you start seeing “stop scrolling” memes. But how are we supposed to do that?

reddit/r/MemeTemplatesOfficial

Set a Time Limit

This is the best way to start your journey of detoxing from social media. All social media platforms offer the option to set a time limit reminder for the day. You can start by setting a limit for a couple of hours and then slowly reducing it. This way, you are not suddenly depriving yourself of social media but accessing it in a controlled way. You can try to shift your texting game to text-only apps and platforms; that way, you can keep in touch with your friends, family, and work!

Engage in Offline Activities and Hobbies!

Your brain is like a muscle. The more you challenge it, the more it grows. Engage in offline activities, like learning a new hobby. It can be a new language, skill, or a book of a different genre. Literally, anything new that you feel like trying! This way, your brain is challenged. It will help your mind grow out from the mushy feeling the social media brain rot has caused.

It’s like drinking a cold lime juice on a hot summer afternoon.

instagram/myfavouritejo

Spend Time with People Outdoors

Maybe call your friends or family and take a walk in the park without using your devices. Use this opportunity to connect with yourself and others in an authentic way rather than using a screen. You might ask, what difference does it make whether I talk to someone online or offline? It does make a difference.

A research study conducted by the School of Communication, East Carolina University, observed that depression symptoms were eased in a setting where people had more offline support. An authentic form of communication, where you are mentally and physically present with someone, leads to a deeper and more satisfying connection with an individual.

A hug would feel better than a GIF, right?

Shutterstock/fizkes

Have we been Consumed by the Social Media Parasite?

Maybe or maybe not. We can’t say that for sure. When you read this article, do you feel concerned about your well-being? Or would you rather go back to scrolling through memes because that gives you more dopamine? Hopefully, I think you will know your answer.

Avoiding technology is impossible, social media included. But we can avoid letting it suck out the life and energy from ourselves, especially our brains. So basically, the only person to allow or deny entry to the social media parasite is YOU.

Shutterstock/Shutterstock AI
Written By

BA English Literature student at UCL. I love to write, what else can I say?

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