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Topics: Health, Science, Sleep, Social Media, Technology
Mia Williams
Topics: Health, Science, Sleep, Social Media, Technology
Scientists are urging people to be aware of the dangers of 'brain rot', as one suggests it could be 'the death' of some things.
We have all fallen victim of dreaded 'doom scrolling' - whereby you get lost in the algorithms of different social media sites, which encourage infinite scrolling.
However, consuming this 'brain rot' content could be doing more damage than you might assume, as scientists have warned people about what the future could potentially look like.
The part of the brain that is always activated when you're avoiding doing something else is the habenula controls.
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And these are responsible for what becomes so appetising about endless scrolling.
It's simple, takes no brain power, and in the moment, feels a lot more manageable than attempting to do anything productive.
Behavioural neuroscientist Dr. Kyra Bobinet, told Fox News Digital that there is a growing awareness of brain rot and its consequences.
Speaking to the New York Post, she said: "People have difficulty with their attention span. They feel brain foggy, they [have] less concentration … They can’t do deep work.
"And then there’s also this epidemic of loneliness that has been kind of sitting on the heels of this, because we can’t really focus on anything, including relationship-building."
When the habenula is activated, it can completely 'kill our motivation to try'.
She added: "It’s the heart of when you know you should be doing something, and you do this other thing instead, like ‘doom-scrolling."
However, one of the most concerning parts is that Dr. Bobinet is worried that people are losing motivation.
The expert said: "We all need motivation to live our lives and to feel proud of ourselves and to feel confident and to get what we want."
Dr. Don Grant, national adviser of healthy device management at Newport Healthcare in Los Angeles, is also worried about the skills people are using.
He added: "We don’t have to imagine anything anymore.
"We pick up our devices every time. I’m worried about memory. I’m worried about education."
He noted that kids often spend eight hours a day on their phone - disrupting sleep and their personal hygiene.
"And I say, ‘OK, can you tell me one video you remember?" he responded.
"I have yet to have one kid really be able to remember anything they saw."
Summarising the danger, he said: "There’s a perceived danger of virtual life and how we’re using our free time – at the end of it, are you really feeling good about yourself?"