The contemporary decline in human intellectual quality is exemplified by the viral phenomenon of “skibidi toilet,” an 11-second video that features an animated human head emerging from a toilet bowl while accompanied by the nonsensical refrain, “skibidi dop dop dop yes yes.” This clip has garnered over 215 million views and has inspired numerous references across social media platforms, including TikTok.
In light of this trend, it is noteworthy that the Oxford Word of the Year has been designated as “brain rot.” This term encapsulates a concept that many individuals recognize. The dictionary characterizes brain rot as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a consequence of excessive consumption of material (particularly trivial or unchallenging online content).” However, a limited understanding exists regarding the extent to which technology affects cognitive capabilities and the detrimental implications of compulsive internet usage on mental faculties.
The concept of brain rot was anticipated nearly two decades ago when researchers began to explore the implications of an emerging phenomenon known as “email,” particularly in relation to constant information exposure on cognitive performance. Findings indicated that persistent cognitive overload resulted in a more significant negative impact compared to the consumption of cannabis, with participants’ IQ scores declining by an average of 10 points.
This research predates the introduction of smartphones, which have enabled unprecedented access to the internet. Presently, the average adult in the United Kingdom spends at least four hours per day online, with Gen Z males averaging five and a half hours and females averaging six and a half hours.
Recent studies conducted by prestigious institutions, including Harvard Medical School, the University of Oxford, and King’s College London, have revealed that internet usage correlates with a reduction in grey matter, diminished attention spans, impaired memory, and altered cognitive processes. The impacted brain areas include those associated with attention, memory functions, and social cognition, with the constant influx of online information leading to divided attention across various media sources.
Numerous studies underline the vulnerability to cognitive decline induced by internet usage. One study identified that “high levels of internet usage and extensive media multitasking are associated with decreased grey matter in the prefrontal regions.” Individuals displaying symptoms of internet addiction show observable “structural brain changes” and “reduced grey matter.” Excessive technology use during formative years has been referred to by some scholars as risking “digital dementia.”
A 2018 analysis encompassing a decade’s worth of data by leading memory psychologists at Stanford University established a correlation between frequent engagement with multiple online platforms and diminished memory and attention spans.
Despite the accumulating evidence, there appears to be insufficient initiative to address this escalating issue. Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT and an expert on divided attention, warned in 2022 that society is currently in “a perfect storm of cognitive degradation.” Dr. Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California and author of Attention Span, presented findings revealing a concerning decline in attention spans. Her team found that the average attention span for any screen decreased from two and a half minutes in 2004 to merely 47 seconds six years ago, a trend that raises societal concerns.
While individuals may bear some responsibility for the deterioration of their cognitive abilities, it is imperative to acknowledge that technology is deliberately designed to engage users. Silicon Valley employs various exploitative design techniques, including the infinite scroll feature, which has been likened to the “bottomless soup bowl” phenomenon, in which users continue to consume content mindlessly when the source remains available. An online feed that perpetually “refills” manipulates the brain’s dopaminergic reward mechanisms, generating powerful, potentially addictive cycles of endless consumption.
The consequences of failing to address the decline in cognitive health could be profound. Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google, cautioned the U.S. Congress in 2019 about the psychological implications for billions of individuals who derive their information from platforms prioritizing user engagement. Harris emphasized that such business models create a “race to the bottom of the brain stem,” aiming to exploit fundamental human instincts by leveraging mechanisms of dopamine, fear, and outrage.
Harris’s warnings illuminate a crucial reality: “Persuasive technology represents a massively underestimated and powerful force shaping our world,” he asserted. It has assumed control over the narratives that influence our collective cognition and behavior.