Brain rot, which is a “mental or cognitive decline, presumably due to overconsumption of trivial or unchallenging information online,” is not an “actual medical diagnosis but the symptoms people experience [are] very real,” says Dr. Gary Small, a memory, brain, and aging expert and professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at University of California, Los Angeles.
“There can be memory issues, difficulty focusing, attention, irritability, headaches, and whether the brain is actually rotting from this activity, we don’t know, however there have been some interesting studies suggesting there may be some effects,” Small told Newsmax’s “National Report” Thursday.
“A 2021 study found that people who spend extensive time on the internet have decreased brain volume in areas controlling thinking and decision making and this is something of concern,” Small said.
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