Brain Rot: Short Form Video Use, “Associated with Poorer Cognition (Attention, Inhibitory Control, Language, Memory, and Working Memory)”
November 24th, 2025Via: Independent:
Excessive usage of TikTok and Instagram Reels is damaging cognitive performance, the American Psychological Association has said in a recent study.
Data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies found that the more short-form content a person watches, the poorer cognitive performances they had in terms of attention and inhibitory control – meaning the more complex they found it to focus.
Researchers found that “repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning.” In short, researchers said it can contribute to brain rot.
It concluded that short-form video use was “associated with poorer cognition (attention, inhibitory control, language, memory, and working memory) and most mental health indices except body image and self-esteem.”
Study: The Impact of Short-Form Video Use on Cognitive and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review
I recall recommending a book to a young person at my workplace, and he told me that he doesn’t read books, he just watches videos on the Internet. That was one of those moments that made me think, for pity’s sake, we are so screwed as a country.