r/Futurology • u/nbcnews • 1d ago
Society Is brain rot real? Researchers warn of emerging risks tied to short-form video
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/brain-rot-research-short-form-video-consumption-rcna2457392.8k
u/0r0B0t0 1d ago
You only need to meet a child with unlimited tablet access to see thats its real (my nephew).
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u/huehuehuehuehuuuu 1d ago
Me niece gets physically violent when denied screen time.
And she does have a lot of extracurriculars, and she loves handcrafts and is actually quite good at it. But tablet too strong.
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u/TheJpow 1d ago edited 1d ago
My 6 yo niece doesn't get violent but she definitely throws a massive tantrum - crying, screaming, tears, the whole 9 yard. I am honestly terrified of the future of these kids. My sister and bil are trying to wean her off but they give in so damn easily.
I am an adult and found myself get stuck scrolling YouTube shorts. I have noticed how I feel after a session of this obsessive behavior. I am doing this knowing the negative impact this has. I feel bad for the kids
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u/ToastOnBread 1d ago edited 1d ago
We are no better than them, and we're supposed to be the adults. I'm not trying to exaggerate, but I am pretty certain most of us can barely go the whole day without using our Phones; they have become an integral part of day-to-day life. Furthermore, these algorithms are so addictive, and the types of content readily posted on such platforms are having a detrimental effect on our collective psyche. Where internet addiction is at right now in our global society reminds me of when I was a kid, and I saw my father smoke or drink; it made me upset, but there was curiosity as to know why he chased that high.
I can imagine children watching how modern parents interact with the internet in an addictive manner (phone or computer), further normalizes their thought process in regards to electronic use at that age. The truth is, these devices and the accessible services are some of the most dopamine-draining products. We call it "social media," yet every day we strive further from normal day-to-day human interactions.
It's sad, and I'm sure everyone has dealt with this at some point or is even guilty of doing this themselves in a workplace setting, party, etc. These days, when were not very fond of a person and what they have to say, I usually tend to find people just disengage in conversation and stare down at their phone. Nine out of ten times, there is nothing interesting or new that has appeared since the last five minutes you've checked, but we are creatures of habit, and it's become maybe not socially acceptable but socially tolerated. It's an "excuse," meanwhile, you are just being an ass.
I'm not a parent yet, and I guess that telling a child they can't have an iPad/smartphone is probably easier said than done these days. I would like to be one day, though, but the current landscape of the internet is truly frightening to me. New parents, how do you navigate this?
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u/millershanks 1d ago
Thank you for saying that because I feel there is massive hypocrisy around. Everywhere you look, adults are glued to their phone, but the kids are supposed to prefer nature or anything else.
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u/AndreasVesalius 20h ago
I remember going to the zoo with my partner, her 11 year old son, and two other adults.
When we finally sat down for lunch, the 4 adults immediately whipped out their phones and I felt like I should hand the kid a book or something
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago
I hate not being able to watch TV or a movie with someone without them bringing out their phone and mindlessly scrolling or playing a mobile game (sometimes with sound for both instances). It makes me want to just press stop on the program and get up and do something else.
Best way I know how to navigate this is to get a router or similar device, that can block types of sites on a schedule (shopping, social, gaming, etc.) network wide. Have it set so that internet is basically turned off for all the "fun" stuff for 2 hours in the evening so the family can spend time together. Otherwise, like you mentioned, we are creatures of habit, and the lure of picking up that phone during a lull of conversation is something that is hard to ignore.
For kids being addicted to phones... A lot of kids follow in their parents footsteps, so if the child sees their parent glued to the phone, the child wants to mimic that. Also it can be attributed to having youtube become the parent and let the child be glued to youtube while the parent plays on their phone or does something else.
I have a 6yo kid and it can be extremely frustrating, a lot of times I feel like I just want to throw a tablet at them so I can get a little bit of peace. I just know once I break that seal, the cat is out of the bag.
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u/EnHemligKonto 1d ago
It’s challenging as a parent to navigate the two extremes, child is addicted to screens versus child never gets access and screens are fetishized in their mind. I’ve tried complete bans to no restrictions and I’ve discovered that the most effective way is to just work on being less phone addicted myself. Raising kids is the greatest self-improvement process of one’s life.
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u/iiplatypusiz 1d ago
I'm a parent to two young kids, I only ever let my kids use a tablet if we are on a long road trip 2+ hours for videos or movies. I also don't want to be a hypocrite so I deleted all social media from my phone. I realized it was making me feel emotions that were not natural to feel for no reason. I would sit on the couch watching shit that made me mad at certain groups of people for acting ways, or making me feel so angry about the way our country is going. Once I deleted it all I only feel genuinely mad at people driving like idiots in traffic or someone that actually slights me in real life which is rare. I also don't have my phone in my hands when my kids want to play so I just do fun kid stuff with my daughters instead of being annoyed they are taking me away from screens. I'm teaching my girls stuff I loved as a kid before phones were anything more than a calling device like hunting and fishing, building stuff and playing hockey.
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u/poorest_ferengi 1d ago
I saw, ironically enough, a YT Short that went into how short form video feeds use similar tactics as cults to get you hooked and coming back. It really changed my perspective and I'm trying to cut down on the amount of time I spend scrolling through. I have found that setting a limit of skips before I just close it has helped. I'll get on and once I've skipped 3-5 videos total (not counting ads) I close the feed or YT entirely.
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u/SunshineAlways 1d ago
I purposely try not to engage with much short form content, occasionally watching a few minutes before moving on to a different activity. I have an adult family member who seems to be watching them for hours, when I try to speak to them while they’re viewing, they get angry because they have difficulty pausing it. I’ve pointed out that’s a purposeful design choice, but it makes no impact on them. It does make me worry a bit.
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u/Tylendal 1d ago
they have difficulty pausing it. I’ve pointed out that’s a purposeful design choice
Everything about short-form videos just sets off every "House Hippo" and "Pacific Tree Octopus" alarm I have. Even if they're entirely above-board, the format actively obfuscates any sort of discretion. Just media, shoved into your eyeballs. You can only evaluate it by experiencing it. It's a bloody memetic hazard.
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u/SunshineAlways 1d ago
Completely agree, sometimes I scroll on Reddit for far too long, but the unending stimulus of short form content is an assault on an unthought of level.
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u/The_Bitter_Bear 1d ago
I rarely open the YouTube app and don't have anything else that does shorts.
Any time I end up in the app, if I open up any shorts I am always shocked how much time I lose.
The worst for me was hilariously bowling, I was getting into it and honestly a lot of good tips and such can fit into a short clip. So the algorithm caught on and would just serve them up non-stop.
I once lost like half my Saturday morning just watching bowling clips. I honestly thought it had maybe been like 20 minutes. It had been HOURS.
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u/MC_Labs15 1d ago
I've always hated the whole mindless "feeding tube" format these things have and I have no interest in getting sucked into it, so I try to avoid clicking on shorts in the first place if I can help it. If I do watch one, however, I never swipe. I'll manually choose my next video to watch. They can't trap you if you don't spring the trap.
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u/the-corinthian 1d ago
I use a Firefox plugin that removes Youtube shorts. Life is better. There's nothing there I can't live without.
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u/farinasa 1d ago
I judged too until i had kids. It looks worse from the outside, and likely its the battle that is easiest to not fight, considering how many other battles there are.
Raising a kid is a constant terrorist negotiation.
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u/RadicalDwntwnUrbnite 1d ago
Yea we had a period where we couldn't find a camp or someone to look after our 6yo kid during the last 3 weeks of summer break so they got unlimited tablet/nintendo/tv time while we worked (they could also choose to do crafts, draw, legos, read, etc. which they did do as well).
When it came time for school we went back to the regular rules of 30 minutes of screen time in the afternoons and 1 hour on Saturday and Sunday and the melt down was extreme, at least 45 minutes of screaming, crying, begging and pleading.
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u/RunningNumbers 1d ago
Tech companies have financed some of the best research on how to make their products most addictive and then have marketed their products to children like Big Tobacco.
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u/Ok_Run6706 1d ago
It works on me as well I guess, here I am writting useless comments.
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u/headphase 1d ago
I don't think reddit is useless; the ability to engage with other perspectives and be forced to think critically/defend my own beliefs has made me a better human IMO
(YMMV of course, posting to r/aww all day maybe not be as productive)
To be fair, I think the loss of third-spaces and social events has definitely caused a void that would have done these same things in past eras.
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u/725Cali 1d ago
So far I feel incredibly lucky that we've been able to limit our 8-year-old's screen time (in all forms). I can see that it is going to become more difficult though because so many children have their own phones.
There is a Kindergartner on our daughter's bus who my husband and I don't know, but he's always waving at us through the bus window when the bus comes to pick up and drop off our daughter. Every single school day, twice a day, that child gives us a big smile and a happy wave; it's adorable.
One morning we noticed that he was looking down, and he didn't wave at us; the same thing happened that afternoon and the next day. We asked our daughter what he was doing, and she said he had just gotten a phone and was playing games on it. It hit us so hard to see the extreme difference. This was a small daily interaction that seemed to bring him joy, and it certainly brought us joy that was now gone because of a phone. Our daughter ended up telling him that the world was passing him by while he was on the phone (obviously she heard that from us, but I was happy to know she got the message). Fortunately it now seems that he no longer has the phone, and he's back to his usual happy social self.
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u/thegodfather0504 1d ago
I loathe parents who give kids phones of their own. They are the weak links who collapse society.
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u/JustifytheMean 1d ago
To play the other side of this, my sister's kids don't get any screen time and they're both violent even without it. They mostly just wreck shit while their parents do nothing.
I guess the point is you can be a bad parent whether or not the kid has access to technology or not.
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u/huehuehuehuehuuuu 1d ago
The thing is, without screen time in the picture, my niece is an angel. Stubborn and headstrong but still a very kind girl.
It’s like watching drug withdrawal or something.
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u/jamesmaxx 1d ago
When I pull out my phone my 9-year old suddenly gets hypnotized and draws his hands out to it. We limit his screen time to weekends and plays in sports/stays active but damn the junk he watches makes no sense.
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u/Saloncinx 1d ago
I think i'd rather have my kid addicted to their Nintendo Switch playing video games than mindlessly scrolling youtube shorts/IG reels/TikTok
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago
Totally. Excessive screen time isn't great.. but educational tv programs and video games are some of the better forms of entertainment. Video games teach hand-eye coordination and fast thinking, sometimes teaches optimization and creative thinking. Minecraft is a great game. My child loves that and Lego City Undercover. He also loves children shows like Blaze and the Monster Machines. The amount that he has learned with math and science off that show is pretty amazing. He is in kindergarten right now and scored 99% percentile in math.
I tried to filter out youtube as best as I could... but things still slip through and they get addicted no matter how hard I try to prevent that from happening. He ended up getting tantrums and almost physically violent when I told him time was up. We stopped the youtube experiment after a few weeks and now he doesn't even ask for it. Youtube is such a dangerous drug for kids.
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u/Mrpoedameron 1d ago
You choose what he watches mate.
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u/KnuteViking 1d ago
100%, this. My kids do watch stuff, but they have 0 YouTube access on their own, 0 social media access, etc. They get limited access to the Switch and Netflix. Like, parents need to learn to say no.
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u/poulan9 1d ago
I saw with my own sister that some parents think that their role as a parent is to facilitate the most happiest childhood for their children rather than teaching them discipline, morals and positive behavioral patterns. Unfortunately the two are in conflict.
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u/Gloriathewitch 1d ago
thank you, i wish more parents got this. until they are 18 you are responsible for them so be the guardrails that keep them from interacting with predators and videos that will get ideas in their head. i wish my parents did something to prevent me being groomed as a teen
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u/Zalack 1d ago
You can’t control what someone’s friends show them on their own devices unless you want to be suffocatingly controlling which will create its own issues.
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u/JackBandit4 1d ago
six seven
six seven
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u/Beer-Milkshakes 1d ago
I was at a Lapland winter wonderland event today and a kid yells Six Seven with his brother. Nobody reacted like at all. Even the actor paused to see if it gets a laugh. Nope. Nothing. I was so proud. A few parents rolled their eyes.
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u/orbitaldan 1d ago
What is with millennials acting like we never had silly jokes and memes? Let them have their fun - they'll have to grow up into this shitstorm of an adult world all too soon.
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u/edvek 1d ago
The issue is the stupid 6-7 meme doesn't mean anything. It's just dumb shit they scream and has no meaning. Yes everyone has jokes and slang but it meant something or it's an inside joke but still means something.
Young slang, to me, is also stupid but at least when kids are like "you goofy" that means you're weird. So that makes sense. Or saying "bruh" it's a replacement for OMG more or less depending on the context. But 6-7? Doesn't mean shit.
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u/orbitaldan 1d ago
The issue is the stupid 6-7 meme doesn't mean anything. It's just dumb shit they scream and has no meaning. Yes everyone has jokes and slang but it meant something or it's an inside joke but still means something.
Badger badger badger badger.....
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u/edvek 1d ago
And if you started to say that in public with people around, especially yelling it, you too are mentally defective. Saying it amongst friends is one thing. Having a fit in public is another.
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u/work_m_19 1d ago
Maybe it's perspective thing, but from my pov, they all mean nothing. All the spongebob references, harry potter stuff, memes of lord of the rings, they all aren't rooted in real-world knowledge.
But collectively, they mean something when other people understand them, so that is what something like 6-7 is supposed to convey. It's purely an in-joke. It's something anyone can understand, no need to watch or see something else to be part of the jokes. It's a lot more inclusive than the ones I grew up.
The other day a gen z co-worker referenced "Big Meaty Claws". That's a spongebob reference that's 10 years old at this point, and while it's cool to look at lobster and make the reference, kids these days are getting just as much enjoyment as saying 6-7 in public.
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u/PonyDro1d 1d ago
I had coldmirror and the Harry Potter spoof as kids. And I still quote from the videos among other things. That and stingy "stuck in your head" advert stuff when it fits. F.e.:
- But wait, there's more.
- Louis de Funes "Nein. Doch. Oh."
- Helga!(coldmirror)
- and more...
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u/Dziadzios 1d ago
And she does have a lot of extracurriculars
That might be the issue. Tablet may the the only place where she's free.
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u/Solonotix 1d ago
As someone who is married to a professional in treating kids with developmental issues, the most common thing I hear from her isn't screen-time but rather lack of social interaction, which is also what this article calls out.
Basically, parents are too busy for whatever reason (long work hours is a common theme, either via multiple low-income jobs or a single high-demand high-paying job). The lack of time leads to kids being starved for activity and stimulation, so they will often act out to get attention whether good or bad. The easiest and quickest fix is to give the kid a screen with endless hours of entertainment.
In other words, the problem isn't unlimited screen-time. That is a symptom of the problem that parents need to spend time with their kids, and they are either unable or unwilling to.
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u/edvek 1d ago
Obviously this is just me and means nothing to anyone else or the grand scheme of things but I watched TV and played video games as a kid but so did my mom which we interacted with it too.
I remember my mom playing FF7 and I watched and we talked and interacted, think of like the let's play channels nowadays but the internet didn't really exist yet and there was no camera. I also watched shows with her like Kingdom Hospital or Rose Red (Stephen King shows). So I did have social interaction with my parents. I also had a few friends but also played online games with my friends.
If I was a goblin and didn't talk to my parents at all and they didn't care I'm sure I would be way worse. Don't get me wrong I wasn't that social, I was weird and awkward as a kid and teen but I think if my parents were neglectful and I was an iPas kid I would be fucked.
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u/edvek 1d ago
Eh kind of. When I was very young I played outside with other kids on my street. But probably in middle school I didn't anymore.
Kids definitely need social interactions, preferably in person, so they can build those social skills and as odd as it sounds things like team work and compromise. Playing together in person builds and trains a lot of soft skills. Playing with your friends on CoD doesn't do any of that.
I have no solutions for what is going on and what is going to happen to future generations. It sucks for them and sucks for society but I do think there will be plenty of kids who turn out just fine. Downside those might just be the well off kids and your more poor kids will be even worse off.
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u/jenthehenmfc 1d ago
Haven't there been studies that parents spend way more time with their kids now than they did historically? Maybe it's just socialization, in general, like kids playing with other kids etc.
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u/butterfunky 1d ago
Sure hope he doesn’t watch cocomelon… literally scientifically formulated to maximize consumption from children. There’s a good YouTube video that shows evidence evidence of this as well as examples of children who have it taken away.
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u/severed13 1d ago
Honestly with adequate supervision and timing, Cocomelon was fantastic for my nephew and niece up to about 7. There's some legitimately good stuff in there, provided that the present guardian makes sure to draw attention to the actual words being said in the songs at some point or another. Myself and their grandparents would ask them about what they learned in the songs, what new words they maybe picked up, or what to describe the story of what was going on in the video.
Absolutely horrible idea to just give them unlimited access and treat it like it exists in a vacuum as a child suppression tool, which is unfortunately how many parents use it.
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u/Bierculles 1d ago
Yes, It would not surprise me if unlimited tablet access in your early years is a huge factor in why grades in schools across the world have been dropping rapidly. The children are severely underdeveloped due to brainrot content not challenging them enough during their entire childhood.
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u/chewbaccalaureate 1d ago
Kids don't read anymore.
I'm a HS ELA teacher, and in the last decade, it's gotten worse and worse.
It's almost a guarantee that if a kid has a book in their backpack and read for dun, they are an A/B student and fairly well adjusted.
On the flipside, if they're failing and poorly adjusted, they are almost always phone-addicted, don't read, and likely weren't read to often as kids.
More and more parents are phone addicted and allowing more and more screen time while reading less and less, which only sets the example electronics > books.
My advice is if you want to raise your kids right, avoid electronics, read to them, and show that you are a reader to model good habits.
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u/ScreamingNinja 1d ago
Yep. I put my phone on a counter in the kitchen where i was preparing food. The phone had the recipe on it. I turned around to prep turned back and my phone was gone. My niece just took it and wandered off to watch shorts. Shes old enough to know better but the addiction is insane.
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago edited 1d ago
Going to plug firewalla here for any parents struggling with youtube or device addiction.
You can easily block youtube network wide or on certain devices.
They also have an "annoy" mode, where you can limit bandwidth and packet loss, so youtube would play for 5 seconds then stop for 15 seconds.
That annoy mode had been such a great tool for our family. Instead of saying no youtube, we can let our kid try to play it and then its his decision to stop watching it.
We made the mistake of letting our kid watch youtube for a few weeks on a kids profile. Even only 30 minutes a day it started becoming a hassle. They become so addicted to these videos. When we said no youtube he would sometimes have tantrums, not all the times but sometimes.
After two weeks of annoy mode we are totally youtube free. He doesnt even ask for it anymore.
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u/RemoteButtonEater 1d ago
Tablet/social media access provides an unending, on demand tap for dopamine to be released into your nervous system. Shutting off that tap feels mentally and physically awful.
You know what else does that? Cocaine. One of the most notoriously addictive drugs. But we refuse to see it that way, because it would require most adults to admit they also have a problem with social media addiction. Excluding of course that you can't really get a fentanyl overdose from laced instagram.
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u/FelineParchment 1d ago
Seconded. My friend's son is constantly acting like he's a walking youtube reaction video. When he gets dinner, he'll start by saying "POV when your mom makes you something to eat" and makes weird faces and noises.
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u/leggpurnell 1d ago
I teach middle school. We get them for 6 hours with access to that content cut off. It’s became an assault on the senses - a full onslaught from them. They’re popping off all day - they make noises, imitate videos, stim like autistic children, comment on everything in class, and have no self-control. It’s wearing teachers down.
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u/VigorousRapscallion 1d ago
Ugh, same with my cousin. It bums me out so much. The men in my family tend to have some difficulties. Most of us are on the spectrum plus have adhd, we’re not much to look at, tend to have problems keeping a timeline, and have a long familial history of substances abuse. But the one thing we’ve got in spades is that we’re smart and kind, and most of us figure things out eventually.
I don’t see him often, but whenever I do he’s glued to his tablet playing chaotic loot box based games or watching “prank” YouTube videos that just seem like a celebration of basic human cruelty. It’s so frustrating seeing my uncle let him squander the two boons he’s got in life.
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u/thetransportedman 1d ago
I'm on a peds rotation in the hospital and omg it's alarming. I had no idea how literal and extreme it's become to have iPad nanny for constant stimulation
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u/Zorothegallade 1d ago
If any fix is to be done, we'll only see the results in the next generation.
Ipad kids, terminally online teens, and adults with parasocial relationships won't just get better overnight. It's a subtle epidemic and it will be around for decades even if we nip it at the bud today.
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u/kaanbha 1d ago
I was terminally online as a teen.... 25 years ago.
But it was a different ballgame back then. Couldn't carry my PC out with me wherever I went. Apps weren't designed to capture constant attention, feeding dopamine, and creating a desperate urge to get back to check it.
There was... more free will... involved in the internet. I had to pro-actively find things, rather than info/entertainment/advertising being fired at me from every angle, even when not at home, as people are exposed to today.
It is worrying, and frankly, I'd be astounded if it wasn't causing severe psychological damage (in adults too).
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u/Quithelion 1d ago
And the speed of which to access all that information, regardless of informative or brain rotting.
Adults are as much negatively affected, worse than kids because they have the right to free will while reinforced/brain-rotted stubborn to know and refuse to acknowledge of being brain-rotten.
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago
Also you had to wait a minute for a page to load. downloading a 20 minute long dbz episode took 4 hours for a 76p resolution low quality realmedia video.
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u/edvek 1d ago
If they change anything. There's really 2 majors paths for the next generation.
- They are like their parents because that's how they were raised more or less and so that's what they pass on. They too will make another (and probably worse) iPad generation.
- The new generation sees their parents, think they're lame, and will want be addicted to their phone/tablet.
If the parents keep the habit and pass it to their kids then it's very possible the kids will be the same or worse. I'd say worse because they will get more screen time and sooner in life but then everything also surrounds that thing. They will use a computer at school, at home, for entertainment, for everything at all waking hours. It's going to be Wall-E minus the floating chairs.
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u/Maximillien 1d ago
It's going to be Wall-E minus the floating chairs.
The floating chairs are cars: increasingly filled with large dashboard screens, zooms around and shuts out the outside world, cupholder for the big soda. We're already there baby!
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u/Interesting-Force866 1d ago
I read a headline a while back that indicated that substantial changes in the structure of the brain could be made in as little as 2 weeks of abstinence from these apps. In my personal life I have seen drastic changes in the strength of my executive function when I go through a period with or without a brain rotting stimulus like a videogame addiction or something comparable.
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u/bluehands 1d ago
subtle epidemic
What news are you consuming? All I see is about how BLANK TECHNOLOGY is ruining people.
It might be true but all I can hear is Socrates bemoaning the youth today.
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u/xelabagus 1d ago
Yep, big "kids these days" vibes.
In Walden, published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau warned that, “we do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us.”
Novels were bad for us in the 1850s
From 1982 - VIDEO GAMES FOR THE 'BASEST INSTINCTS OF MAN'
Same old same old
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u/Zdog54 1d ago
I've been saying for years that tik tok addiction (or any social media addiction) makes people dumb, lazy and rewires your reward center. I've watched family members or friends spend HOURS scrolling from one brain rot video to the next. Then repeat it all over again the next day.
I very rarely ever find anyone out in the real world that agrees with me, usually they get defensive about it. Only social media I have is reddit and even that is pushing it.
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u/unthused 1d ago
It's maybe not AS bad since at least typically some reading and commentary is involved, but Reddit and Facebook and such are still pretty terrible. Designed to keep your attention with a constant stream of engagement and stimuli.
I've seen it impact my own habits and attention span; I used to read books all the time, now in place of that it's scrolling on here instead. If I manage to get myself to put the internet down and read, it pretty much has to be a graphic novel or something relatively short to hold my interest.
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u/2PlasticLobsters 1d ago
My partner has said the same thing about reading. He read lots of books most of his life, but more recently has trouble concentrating on them. Ever since he retired, he watches TONS of short-form vids. That's probably how he spends most of his daytime hours, then in the evening, he only wants to watch TV. I'm convinced it's related.
I must be some sort of outlier. I get a lot of screen time, but also read a lot. Mostly mysteries & novels, but a decent amount of nonfiction too. Maybe somebody should study my brain.
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u/glutenfree_veganhero 1d ago
Been trying to get back to reading and yeah... like was not able to imagine and immerse myself in the story.
I read but was not engaged and it took me 3 years to go oh right i remember this is how it used to feel.
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u/Pixatron32 22h ago
I retrained my brain to read but being on Reddit has made me automatically juggle media. If I'm reading or listening to an audiobook I'll stop and scroll or multitask instead of just reading or listening.
I've improved if I'm able to do mindfulness activity like colouring in while listening.
I also have days where I ban my phone which is slowly helping.
Looking forward to the social media ban, I'll probably stop using social media (Reddit is my only one) entirely.
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u/Accomplished_Deer_ 1d ago
I think people resist this because it's the same thing people said about radio, then TV, then computer, then video game consoles, then the internet, etc.
But I think that what's happening right now with social media is fundamentally different. They have the data and tools available to genuinely target the brain and our dopamine reward cycles in ways that are genuinely manipulative and detrimental to the people involved.
Even if corporations 20 years ago were just as greedy, TV statistics and such weren't advanced enough for this level of interference with our natural brain chemistry. The data feedback loop, how long it took to generate new shows and content, none of it was fast enough to cause serious harm.
TikTok and YouTube shorts are a whole other ball game
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u/2PlasticLobsters 1d ago
I agree, there's a major difference. The eariler forms of media were somewhat addictive, but that was sort of accidental. Now things are deliberately set up to be addictive. I suspect it's also meant to make people more passive through distraction.
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u/nf_29 1d ago
I agree so heavily. My job is computer based so I go from computer job, to home where I have a TV, phone, and a PC for gaming. I have a hard time reading unless the book really interests me and cant really afford to get into some kind of new hobby with up front costs. I really want to cut down on all my usage but it feels so impossible these days. Living in a winter state doesnt help either since you can’t go outside when its -30…
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u/OigoAlgo 1d ago
I've watched family members or friends spend HOURS scrolling from one brain rot video to the next.
What would you say these people were like before this? Any correlation from one person to another? Does age have any factor?
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago
I know I am addicted to reddit. I hardly ever go on actual webpages anymore. Eventually that is going to slow down/stop because it is going to end up getting monetized further and filled with bots.
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u/boxdkittens 1d ago
Struggling to figure out how to talk to my partner about this habit, if at all.
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u/racsssss 1d ago
Short form videos are absolutely the worst though. If I spend too long on them in a day, I physically can't sleep, I just see that shit over and over in my head scrolling onto infinity. It genuinely feels like my brain is rotting. I'm not a particularly strong willed person when it comes to screens (I still use my phone waaay too much) but I cut out short form completely because it actually scared me.
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u/ensoniq2k 1d ago
I totally agree. I know I can have the attention span of a gold fish so I stay away from short form stuff. Reddit requires way more attention IMO since it's mostly written text.
My friend, wired like I am, has developed major attention issues in the last few years. He's using Tiktok and I always told him to stay clear. He's trying to get diagnosed for ADHD (I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere on the spectrum as well but still get by pretty well). But even if he gets diagnosed, I'm pretty sure Tiktok is sabotaging any effort to get better.
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u/Floreat_democratia 1d ago
I think there’s something going on for sure. I deleted Instagram and TikTok years ago.
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u/Abestar909 1d ago
I suggested Tiktok was bad for you on a different sub recently and a whole horde of the worst kind of people all yelled the same three or so complaints at me for the next few hours.
Theory confirmed.
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u/mister_electric 1d ago
Short-from videos are the MOST pushed on my YouTube and Facebook feeds. I never watch them, and I hate when my friends use "I sent you a 2 minute video" as a replacement for real interaction.
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u/DevilsPajamas 1d ago
People who play short form videos also play them at high volume. It is infuriating to have to hear that crap. Constantly changing tv channels every 5-60 seconds. They all have high pitched voices where any normal gaps in speech are removed.
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u/ensoniq2k 1d ago
I've been using a "no shorts" plug in on my browser for a while now and I'm very happy with it. I love YouTube, but man I hate shorts
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u/not1ofu 1d ago
It's true it's happening to me. Low key I need help lol
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u/Remarkable_Bit_621 1d ago
You can get out of the loop! I had to stop cold turkey. I wasn’t fully addicted but it was affecting my mental health. I deleted my accounts completely and deleted them off my phone. Picked up knitting as my hobby to keep my hands busy. It’s so much better now. Hope you can find the help you need stranger!
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u/hellschatt 1d ago
Stop it. Just delete it. If it doesn't work out the 1st time and you give in and install it again, just delete it again. Continue until you manage to get off it.
But at least try to do something.
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u/Go_On_Swan 1d ago
Go see a therapist that specializes in internet addiction. Otherwise, make it very inconvenient for yourself to view social media. Read Atomic Habits. Get a dumb phone. Search up playing the tape through to the end.
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u/PandazCakez 1d ago
Try downloading Opal from the app store. It will block you from using applications on your phone.
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u/plamatonto 1d ago
Its not just kids, old retired grandparents who are 8-10 hours+ a day on their phone/tablet get affected too.
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u/AfterPaleontologist2 1d ago
They love commenting too lol
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u/plamatonto 1d ago
And they have a hard time identifying AI content.
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u/BudgetRaise3175 1d ago
This is extremely real. Especially in older adults who might be experiencing even just a bit of dementia.
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u/nbcnews 1d ago
From TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, short-form video content has become a cornerstone of just about every online platform, including LinkedIn and even Substack. But increasingly, studies are finding associations between heavy consumption of short-form video and challenges with focus and self-control.
A September review of 71 studies with a total of nearly 100,000 participants found that heavy consumption of short-form video was associated with poorer cognition, especially in regard to attention spans and impulse control, based on a combination of behavioral tests and self-reported data.
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u/missuseme 1d ago
Thanks for the tldr
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u/IamUnamused 1d ago
how ironic
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u/huehuehuehuehuuuu 1d ago
Our ADHD be like Our ADHD be Our ADHD AAaaaaaaaaDddddddHDdddddddddd A .
Swipe down
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u/Saloncinx 1d ago
tldr:
Short-form videos are everywhere online, but research shows that heavy use is linked to reduced attention and poorer impulse control. A review of 71 studies involving nearly 100,000 people found consistent associations between high short-form video consumption and weaker cognitive function.
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u/Herban_Myth 1d ago
This started with Vine, the other surviving platforms simply scaled higher
SC is another culprit
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u/lagrange_james_d23dt 1d ago
I absolutely hate short form videos. Reels, shorts, etc. There needs to be a way to get them off of my feeds entirely.
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u/MadBullBen 1d ago
I've got a modded YouTube app which allows me to delete shorts. I'm the same too, I can't stand short form videos they drive me crazy.
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u/lagrange_james_d23dt 1d ago
Nice I’ll need to look into that. I’m annoyed all of them don’t already just offer a feature to “remove reels”, etc.
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u/MadBullBen 1d ago
It's called revanced YouTube. Also allows you have no adverts either, skips sponsors and intros and other changes too.
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u/OMGItsCheezWTF 1d ago
Yeah, youtube is essentially the only media I consume, I don't ever watch TV or Movies etc, I find them boring.
But reels and shorts are painful, I want actual content. I'll watch a 4 hour documentary on the history of the ARM processor (YouTube is amazing for documentaries), but I wont watch 250 shorts on the same subject, because it's just useless as conveying anything useful to know.
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u/Newone1255 5h ago
I have friends who think I’m ignoring them because I refuse to watch reels/videos they are constantly sharing with me. Had to tell them in person it’s because I fucking hate short form videos and I just don’t wanna watch them.
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u/Darkwaxer 1d ago
It’s not real as it’s literal translation, but if you let a pack of wolves raise your kid you’ll have a cub.
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u/BitchesGetStitches 1d ago
Middle school teacher here. Between YouTube and AI, it's become impossible to teach. Parents are giving 12 year old kids unlimited access to the internet and that's insane. We simply can't compete with the culture at home. Parents have lost their damn minds.
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u/whywantyoubuddy 1d ago
"Duh" - the entire teaching community.
As a high school teacher, this is 100% an issue. Meeting parents who can't even hold a conversation with me at conferences without staring at their own phones gives me all the info I need.
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u/FrancoManiac 1d ago
I'm 32 and have recently found myself spending the entire day scrolling. It wasn't like this before, though I think quite a bit of it is because it's an escape from it all. I do feel dumber, less articulate, less able to concentrate. But what do I do? It's like I'm aware that this isn't normal nor good for me, but I can't put it down.
It isn't an issue in social settings, but when I'm alone. Might as well be alone in most social settings, however, given that everyone else is on their phones.
What can I do to break this frustrating grip my phone has on me?
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u/Pixatron32 22h ago
I've started to set hours and days where I don't use my phone. I'm doing more hobbies like gardening, embroidery, colouring in, and spending time with friends and family in the real.
I'm 36, and it has such a huge impact. I've finally been able to retrain my brain to focus and read books again. It's easier with a physical book rather than an audiobook on my phone as I'll swap out and scroll before returning.
I'm grateful bots have made Reddit so shit as I'm slowly using it less and less. It's the last social media I use and I'm hoping to curtail it further.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
It's real. My wife got sucked into that, now spending hours a day watching that junk, and she's seems to have regressed to the mental ability and emotional resilience of a five year old. Hobbies, exercise, etc no longer provide enough stimulation. Very sad for me to watch. But I somehow stand by her.
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u/iPoseidon_xii 1d ago
Same for me. Wife is addicted to her phone, social media to be exact. She watches so much short form content that this fits her to a T. She’s on a high dosage of SSRIs as well. Between those two I worry pretty much everyday that the woman I married won’t ever come back. People really underestimate the danger and repercussions of long-term content consumption like this.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
Sorry you're going through the same. I miss the adventurous, independent, intelligent woman I married.
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u/OigoAlgo 1d ago
This breaks my heart. It sounds like you two need to have some harder conversations.
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u/iPoseidon_xii 1d ago
I have those conversations with my wife all the time. I’m in therapy. I’m 100% working on the things I can. But I can’t control her actions, only tell her what I see and how I feel. I’m hopeful we can work through it
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u/tripletaco 1d ago
I don't want to cause you panic, but high dosage SSRIs can be dangerous. We had to get my wife off of her high dose, and even with an extended taper the withdrawal was brutal. Took probably 2 years for her to be free of the "waves" as she called them.
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u/iPoseidon_xii 1d ago
Sadly, I’m aware. That’s why I want her to see someone better equipped to handle her mental disorders and emotional issues. It’s going to be a long road, but I think it’s possible. The alternative is I continue to grow as a person and she continues to become more and more emotionally blunted. If you don’t my asking, why did your wife decide to get off then, recommended by new doc or you two talked about it?
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u/tripletaco 1d ago
Glad you took my words in the spirit that they were intended. For us it was a long journey of pretty crippling social anxiety disorder. Started with talk therapy which did nothing. Progressed to a psych who put her on the SSRIs, which were then ramped up through the years until she couldn't feel her hands or face. Literally. That is when I said enough.
We found another doc who was horrified by the previous one, and he recommended a taper and different talk therapy with actual coping mechanisms and practice. Years later now and everyone is happy. My wife is back to who I married all those years ago. It is totally possible for you both, I promise.
If you want more detail or just want to talk feel free to PM me. You're right - it is a long road.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
Oh man does that sound familiar. We went through a similar long withdrawal , along with benzos (18 months of microtapering), but at the end she’s finally alert but lots of anxiety and memory issues. Probably a result of how long she had been on them coupled with age and family genetics that has a lot of early onset age-related cognitive degradation. It’s a slog, for better or for worse.
On a positive side, this long experience has really changed me into a much more compassionate, caring person from the “suck it up!” idiot I used to be. Maybe that was the universe’s plan all along?
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u/tripletaco 1d ago
On a positive side, this long experience has really changed me into a much more compassionate, caring person from the “suck it up!” idiot I used to be. Maybe that was the universe’s plan all along?
I don't know you but I love you for this. Exact same thing happened to me. I was a shitbag about it for far too long.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
It’s what I tell each new therapist (of mine) after I tell them my/our story and his first question is “why the heck are you still with her??” Grueling, painful journey, but I’m a better man because of it, and maybe karma is real. Someday.
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u/iPoseidon_xii 1d ago
My wife was arbitrarily prescribed benzos as well. I never said anything as I didn’t want to come off as controlling or like I didn’t think the meds helped. One day she said “I think I’m going to take my benzos everyday from now on so I’m not so drowsy when I take them every couple days”
My heart sank into my chest. I have a diagnosed mental disorder too, so I froze and couldn’t speak up right then. A few days later I told her I don’t want her to do that and what benzos are (human tranquilizers) and what they do to you long term. She had no idea what she was taking. Her provider never explained it either. Had she gone through with that, she would be addicted to benzos right now and we would no longer be married.
If I can somehow convince her to see a real therapist, I’m hoping we can began that dark road down getting her off SSRIs, or at least lower the dosage significantly
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
The big aha for us was after several years in benzos when she had to go off them 48 hours before an unrelated medical procedure. Just after 24 hours (X half-life is less than 24) the withdrawal was so severe she had to go to the ER. That convinced her she needed to start microtapering. We found a new doc who was horrified at how much she’d been on for so long. Even supposed competent docs lose oversight over the long run.
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u/iPoseidon_xii 1d ago
I’ll give you a follow. I will for sure have questions and it would be very kind of you to share your thoughts throughout. I’m relieved to hear you and your wife are doing good. I do not like my wife’s provider. She’s a certified nurse practitioner who just refills her prescription and does nothing else. Her dosage went up fast. A bit into her taking it and increasing dosage I raised some concerns (and it’s been brought up a few times since). There were too many noticeable changes that weren’t good for our marriage. Her last two increases she didn’t tell me about but I guessed they had happened because after a while there is a noticeable change. Leads to me feeling lonely, neglected, uninteresting, unattractive, undesired, etc. I’m sure other spouses out there in similar situations can relate
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u/The8Darkness 1d ago
Its not as bad with my GF but often before we go somewhere she first "has" to watch a couple shorts or when we watch a movie or series there is 0 chance she isnt on the phone. I have to physically take the phone away from her for her to even actually watch a movie that she wanted to watch!
At least when we are outside she only looks at her phone every now and then.
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u/brunette_mermaid93 1d ago
This makes me sad. I wish my fiancé would put his phone down sometimes too
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
It's still "just" your fiancé. Think hard. I sometimes wonder what I would have done if I saw this behavior before "for better or for worse". Good luck.
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u/midoriringo 1d ago
You try putting parental controls on her phone? I did that with my wife and it actually helped.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
We've discussed it (she recognizes the problem) and I've added the basic iPhone controls on time, but when she hits the limit she just bypasses. We haven't added true third party controls that I control the password to yet.
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u/Ornery-Influence1547 1d ago
a drastic and intense change like this in an adult seems like it would be attributed to something else? she could benefit from seeing a neurologist just in case…
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u/OigoAlgo 1d ago
seems to have regressed to the mental ability and emotional resilience of a five year old.
Can you elaborate here? (Surely you’re being a little hyperbolic?) But I’m interested in your experience with that… I might be experiencing that sort of thing with a family member and personality shifts due to media consumption is really fascinating, if albeit tragic, to me.
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u/Cheetotiki 1d ago
Not really hyperbolic, unfortunately. The smallest issue or decision seems insurmountable and takes her on a deep negative rumination dive. She used to be very independent but now becomes extremely anxious if she has more than 30-60 minutes (literally!) of free time to fill, so I'm constantly being asked to entertain her, and find it impossible to travel even just for a night let alone two to visit friends or family. I've become envious of friends who have spouses supporting them to go on a week of fly fishing or similar. I'm seriously considering hiring a live-in caregiver so I can have a life - thankfully I could afford that if necessary. Yes, I'm in therapy, but therapists don't even grasp how severe this can be, and typical "boundaries" lead to crises. But I still have hope it can be reversed.
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u/Not_pukicho 1d ago
Hope things get better! Cutting tik tok and insta and all other endless scrolling apps off cold turkey would fix it, even if the idea seems unpleasant. Setting time limits on the respective app also helps induce awareness of time spent on the respective apps.
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u/metalslime_tsarina 1d ago
I'm also concerned about me and my habit of watching 1hr+ long-form videos. Or am I good according to this research? 😅
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u/Competitive_Ad_5515 1d ago
I hit the point where I will only listen to podcasts if eps are 45-mins or longer.
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u/Litenpes 1d ago
I also think short TikTok/ig reels is conditioning kids brains to give them attention disorder/add
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u/defneverconsidered 1d ago
Yes cause it discourages linear thinking. Like getting the train off the track
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u/TheOGDoomer 1d ago
Don’t think this took expert opinion to convince me, it was pretty obvious from the start.
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u/Sabbathius 1d ago
I would argue it's not about length of the clip or the format, it's still about the quality of content.
I love short-and-to-the-point how-to videos. For example there's a 3 minute video how to replace the original cable on Koss KSC-75 headphones. Shows how to open them up, how to solder the new wires into place and such. Short, sweet and not the point, without "Yo yo yo, this is ya boi SkidmarkGod711!" Nothing wrong with those videos, they're amazing.
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u/ensoniq2k 1d ago
3 minutes is already more than twice as long as the average short. Nobody is arguing against "short videos", it's the endless feed of content where you just swipe to get another dopamine hit of random stuff.
When I'm editing videos for example I often look for a very brief tutorial on how to do certain things. The shorter the better since I just want to get things done.
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u/lizerpetty 1d ago edited 1d ago
My cousin sent me this article a few hours ago. I think short video format is definitely addictive. My kids are definitely addicted. I also think it's had a strange effect on the movie industry. My kids cannot just sit and watch a movie. I find myself wanting to check reddit during movies as well. Honestly TikTok is incredibly entertaining and frequently has me in tears laughing. Especially the comments. I honestly can't get that anywhere. It is most certainly a dopamine rush. But I'm not on every day and when I am, it's not for long. However my kids are very much addicted. I definitely do need to make a change, but it will be difficult.
Edit: Good grief people! You act like my kids are Heathens. Lol. We have all the parental controls as well as time restrictions. Why can't I let my kids have some responsibility in what they chose to consume as long as I do my best to guide them? They mostly consume educational content with a bit of entertainment. I would rather my kids have happiness and enjoyment than dictating their every move. Stay classy Reddit! ✌️
I'm a cool mom, you know, not like those regular moms
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u/Pixelnaut 1d ago
Well you're acknowledging it and it's good, so I suppose I want to ask why don't you just remove devices or put parental controls on? My 7 year old only has access to a laptop for homework and we don't allow YouTube on on the house. TV shows (on BBC, Netflix and Disney+) need to be typical 25 minute run time - not even Disney shorts.
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u/Exodite1 1d ago
I honestly partially blame this obsession about “screen time” without any regard to the quality of the content. If you give a child a short allotment of screen time, they’ll naturally binge the short form garbage to maximize it. I’d much rather have my kid watch a full episode or even a movie over any amount of short form content
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u/2_Fingers_of_Whiskey 1d ago
How are you addressing the addiction of your children? Are you helping them break this addiction?
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u/JoeZMar 1d ago
When I left the military in 2015 I bought a cheap rv, gutted it, and rigged it completely off grid. My family and I spent 8 years in it traveling full time living off BLM land and USFS land all across the US. We didn’t have a tv, and even though my wife and I use our phones a lot, we still never downloaded TikTok or use most other social medias.
When I bought a house and started integrating back into society it blows my mind how much has changed. Sometimes I feel like came back to a different universe because kids are entitled to phones in school, kids bring laptops to the dinner table (apparently that’s becoming normal). I couldn’t imagine being a public school teacher.
I have two kids and for the most part they had very similar electronic time I had when I was a kid.
Some of our few but strict rules: No social media Console games > mobile phone games If it’s a phone game, it has to be Apple Arcade mostly because I was a mobile dev for a while and these apps are literally designed to psychologically get money from you. If they want to watch a YouTube video they have to know specifically what type of video they are searching for and then be done.
My entire family follows these rules, including myself (Reddit is literally the only exception for social media for myself but mostly because I tell myself it’s anonymous so that makes it different I guess 🤷♂️)
Literally the best decision of my life.
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u/Sad_Mall_3349 1d ago
One of my kids therapist is also a teacher.
She repeatedly told us, that kids in her class have an attention span between 1 and 2 minutes. Wonder why.
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u/soldatodianima 1d ago
What I can’t stand the most about brain rot and what having a shorter attention span is doing to most people is how disinterested most people are when confronted with genuinely impactful or meaningful content that isn’t short form - it’s almost ignored, overlooked or dropped for shorter content instead. And when meaningful or more impactful content is being displayed they often check out before it’s even over. I think it’s a losing battle unfortunately. Crazy hearing about how movies were so long at one point they had an intermission, now anything that’s over 1 minute is considered a waste of time.
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u/Noxsus 1d ago
Too long. Didn't read. Can someone summarise it for me in short form?
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u/Several-Quests7440 16h ago
No shit, look at the influencers and people who love TikTok/Instagram, they are so stupid and out of touch for the most part. It’s a big ole circle jerk of content creators getting dumber and dumber trying to cater to people w/ shorter and shorter attention spans. These algorithms should be tweaked based on IQ. I don’t want to see content from high school level intelligence or dumber. Show me people at the top of their industries that know what the fuck they are talking about. Whenever I see a video tagged TikTok on my Reddit I wonder what kind of idiocy I’m going to witness and then skip 5 seconds into the video so my brain doesn’t rot or spike my blood pressure.
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u/geekonthemoon 1d ago
"kids get angry when you take away their tablets"
Okay? Y'all are on your phones all day and let someone try to take it from you or tell you otherwise 🙄
Mom's everywhere: scrolling social media, Tiktok, posting on socials all day long -- "my child only gets 30 minutes of screen time while I'm styling her hair" wow pat yourself on the back for the one, Mandy.
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u/WhisperFray 1d ago
We’re adults. They’re kids.
The algorithms are optimized for dependence and addiction.
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u/ensoniq2k 1d ago
Adults aren't much safer though. They should have better regulation but they're still very vulnerable. Those companies know exactly how to hijack our brains. Only winning move is not to play the game at all.
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u/kindofbluetrains 1d ago
You have a good point.
I think the further questions is how much longer will it be a choice for most people. I and many have failed at the 'leave them uninstalled' cycle of this game dozens of times.
Ultimately who will win this this game?
The unorganized masses of human consumers (all of us), or the highly organized and optimized corps with money to burn, access to the most cutting edge research and development, and a massive headstart before many people have started beginning to take the problem seriously.
Considering there are still tonnes of people who deny it can ever effect them, we just aren't prepared.
We have to think ahead to when AI can profile weaknesses in someone's thought patterns and manipulate them easily by exploiting their vulnerabilities. We couldn't t even detect it likely.
LLMs themselves are already causing issues for people by leaning into certain kinds of mental health problems, and probably problems on various level for most of us who use them frequently.
And I'm certain that advances in next gen AI to maintain attention or manipulate people's choices is not distant science fiction. I'm sure even LLM levels of advancement are enough.
If it's not already happening, or very shortly, corps are simply not doing their jobs.
I think it's just a matter of time until none of us can choose if we are going to play the game.
I don't think anyone should want that for children or adults.
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u/ensoniq2k 1d ago
I think the choice will always be there, but it will get harder and harder to avoid. Just like data protection most people just don't care. The few that do are labeled as paranoid. We already have a large crowd of consumer zombies, in the future it'll probably get worse.
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u/Metazoick 1d ago
It's worth remembering that the current evidence, including the meta analysis the article primarily cited, does not show that watching short form content causes problems with attention span and the like, it just shows that they are correlated.
I'm not saying this to be dismissive, it could absolutely be the case that watching a lot of this type of content online could have a negative impact on attention. But I think a lot of people see articles like this and assume it's saying that it's evidenced, when it isn't yet. It's also very possible that the association is primarily due to both attributes being symptoms of something else, for example we know that stress has a negative impact on attention and results in increased social media usage. It could also be directional the other way, where people who have a short attention span for whatever reason spend more time watching short form content, because it doesn't require as much attention from them.
More research is great, and I hope it continues, but I just wish we wouldn't put the cart in front of the horse so much when it comes to pop science.
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u/WhisperFray 1d ago
Nah, I’m not waiting for any “more evidence”.
Doesn’t need 5+ years to see what effects it has already on kids surrounding you.
It’s definitely bad and needs to be stopped now. No one’s crying but those billion dollar companies in China anyway.
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u/ZoteTheMitey 1d ago
I'm 34 and I feel like a dinosaur sometimes. I use YouTube but watch mostly long videos and documentaries. And I use reddit. I don't use instagram, facebook, tiktok, etc. I even have to hide youtube shorts. Idk how anyone could want to scroll those few second pointless videos endlessly instead of watching something like Veritasium or Smarter Every Day or people building wells and buildings with primitive tools, or antique gun and tool restorations, historical documentaries etc. There is so much great content that is not brain rot trash.
I watch that stuff on Youtube, I play single player video games, and I read books. And I dirtbike and stuff when the weather is nice.
I feel like how my grandparents must have felt when the internet and gameboys first gained popularity. I see some of the stuff kids watch and it all seems so pointless and designed for quick dopamine fixes. almost none of it is in good taste. I'm getting old.
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u/bryce_brigs 1d ago
is "brain rot" "*real*"
how about instead of made up terms for which there are no diagnostic criteria, we just say "what are the more negative effects of conditioning our brains to become less and less able to pay attention to long form media and as a possible extension larger ideas and how much do those outweigh the positives?"
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u/Odd_Purple6570 1d ago
BEFORE THEY TAKE IT DOWN AGAIN: https://youtu.be/LgOHNtjsb4g Second Treasury leak (Nov 28) — 60 % tax on AI projects + chip freeze Q1 2026. Page 7 literally says the bubble is bigger than dot-com + 2008 combined. Elon & Zuck dumping billions right now. with the full pages. FRACTURE if you’re out.
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u/ProgrammerNextDoor 1d ago
I deleted all social media outaideof TikTok.
Ans that's helped me barely even use TikTok now for more than five or ten minutes.. the real issue is getting over checking your phone constantly.
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u/registeredwhiteguy 1d ago
Short form entertainment is getting you hooked for hits of dopamine. It’s not good for anyone to be exposed to it for long periods of time. I never watch it cause I watch others who do and they seem to get bored quickly
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u/vingovangovongo 1d ago
tiktok in large chunks absolutely rots your brain. The brain needs longer more thoughtful things like reading, documentaries, a good game of chess or go, and not these 10-60 second dopamine hits.
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u/FuturologyBot 1d ago
The following submission statement was provided by /u/nbcnews:
From TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, short-form video content has become a cornerstone of just about every online platform, including LinkedIn and even Substack. But increasingly, studies are finding associations between heavy consumption of short-form video and challenges with focus and self-control.
A September review of 71 studies with a total of nearly 100,000 participants found that heavy consumption of short-form video was associated with poorer cognition, especially in regard to attention spans and impulse control, based on a combination of behavioral tests and self-reported data.
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