Excessive Digital Content Consumption and Cognitive Decline: Current Review of the 'Brain Rot' Phenomenon

Öz

The term “brain rot” is relatively new, but its use rose exponentially after being promoted as the Oxford word of the Year in 2024. “Brain rot” was simply used by people to mean cognitive deficits. However, the phrase now evokes mental and emotional health issues that arise from modern lifestyles. The article demonstrates brain rot as a phenomenon caused by the merger of psychiatry, neurology, and clinical psychology. It attempts to dissect the multi-dimensional causes of brain rot, which include, but are not limited to, heredity, the surrounding environment, lifestyle changes, and the emotional and cognitive deficits themselves. It also looks at the existing methods of brain rot prevention, treatment, and diagnosis. This phenomenon explains how specific habits like increased screen time, stress, and other cognitive aggravating factors will eventually worsen the decline. With substantial evidence available, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and resiliency training seem to be much stronger candidates for preventing or treating brain rot. We have noted gaps in the literature, including the use of artificial intelligence for diagnosis through cross-disciplinary collaboration. The objective of the review is to increase comprehension of the term “brain rot” and multi-dimensionally prevention and treatment strategies through an individualized approach.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Brain rot
• cognitive decline
• digital addiction
• emotional dysregulation.

Aşırı Dijital İçerik Tüketimi ve Bilişsel Gerileme: 'Beyin Çürümesi' Olgusunun Güncel Bir İncelemesi

Öz

“Beyin çürümesi” terimi, özellikle 2024 yılında Oxford tarafından yılın kelimesi seçilmesinin ardından büyük ilgi görmüş ve bilişsel gerilemeyi tanımlayan gündelik bir ifadeden, modern yaşam tarzlarının zihinsel ve duygusal sağlık üzerindeki kapsamlı etkilerini ifade eden bir kavrama dönüşmüştür. Bu derleme makalemizde, psikiyatri, nöroloji ve psikolojik danışmanlık perspektiflerini bir araya getirerek beyin çürümesinin varlığını tartışmakta ve bu olgunun genetik faktörler, çevresel etmenler, yaşam tarzı değişiklikleri ile bilişsel ve duygusal işlev kayıplarından nasıl etkilendiğini ele almaktadır. Ayrıca, beyin çürümesinin önlenmesi, teşhisi ve tedavisine yönelik mevcut yöntemler incelenerek, ekran süresinin artışı ve kronik stres gibi alışkanlıkların bilişsel gerilemeye nasıl katkıda bulunduğu açıklanmaktadır. Makale, bu sorunun yönetiminde daha etkili olabilecek kanıta dayalı yaklaşımlara odaklanarak farkındalık temelli müdahaleler, bilişsel-davranışçı terapi ve esneklik eğitimine vurgu yapmaktadır. Bunun yanı sıra, yapay zekâ destekli teşhis yöntemleri ve disiplinler arası iş birliğinin, beyin çürümesine yönelik daha bütüncül çözümler sunmada nasıl bir rol oynayabileceği tartışılmaktadır. Genel olarak bu çalışma, beyin çürümesi kavramını daha iyi anlamayı ve birey merkezli, çok boyutlu yaklaşımlar geliştirerek etkili önleme ve müdahale stratejileri sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Beyin çürümesi
• bilişsel gerileme
• dijital bağımlılık
• duygusal düzensizlik

Kaynakça

1. Adamu A, Li S, Gao F, Xue G (2024) The role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases: Current understanding and future therapeutic targets. Front Aging Neurosci, 16:e1347987.
2. Áfra E, Janszky J, Perlaki G, Orsi G, Nagy SA, Arató Á et al. (2024) Altered functional brain networks in problematic smartphone and social media use: resting-state fMRI study. Brain Imaging Behav, 18:292-301.
3. Alkadhi K, Zagaar M, Alhaider I, Salim S, Aleisa A (2013) Neurobiological consequences of sleep deprivation. Curr Neuropharmacol, 11:231-249.
4. Alter A (2017) Irresistible: The Rise Of Addictive Technology and The Business of Keeping Us Hooked. New York, NY, Penguin Press.
5. Andrade FC, Erwin S, Burnell K, Jackson J, Storch M, Nicholas J et al. (2023) Intervening on social comparisons on social media: Electronic daily diary pilot study. JMIR Ment Health, 10:e42024.
6. Angermann CE, Ertl G (2018) Depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Curr Heart Fail Rep, 15:398-410.
7. Aron A, Fisher H, Mashek DJ, Strong G, Li H, Brown LL (2005) Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. J Neurophysiol, 94:327-337.
8. Auxier B, Anderson M (2021) Social media use in 2021. Washington DC; Pew Research Center.

9. Bacaro V, Miletic K, Crocetti E (2024) A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies on the interplay between sleep, mental health, and positive well being in adolescents. Int J Clin Health Psychol, 24:100424.
10. Barry CT, Sidoti CL, Briggs SM, Reiter SR, Lindsey RA (2017) Adolescent social media use and mental health from adolescent and parent perspectives. J Adolesc, 61:1-11.
11. Baumeister RF, Vohs KD, Tice DM (2007) The strength model of self-control. Curr Dir Psychol Sci, 16:351-355.
12. Beauchet O, Montero Odasso M (2020) Comprehensive falls assessment: Cognitive impairment is a matter to consider. In Falls and Cognition in Older Persons (Eds M Montero Odasso, R Camicioli):67-78. Cham, Springer.
13. Beck JS (2011) Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, 2nd ed. New York, Guilford Press.
14. Boers E, Afzali MH, Newton N, Conrod P (2019) Association of screen time and depression in adolescence. JAMA Pediatr, 173:853-859.
15. Booth FW, Roberts CK, Laye MJ (2012) Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Compr Physiol, 2:1143-1211.
16. Brandt L, Liu S, Heim C, Heinz A (2022) The effects of social isolation stress and discrimination on mental health. Transl Psychiatry, 12:398.
17. Busch PA, McCarthy S (2021) Antecedents and consequences of problematic smartphone use: A systematic literature review of an emerging research area. Comput Human Behav, 114:106414.
18. Cain N, Gradisar M (2020) Electronic media use and sleep in school aged children and adolescents: A review. Sleep Med, 11:735-742.
19. Carnevale L, Lembo G (2019) Innovative MRI techniques in neuroimaging approaches for cerebrovascular diseases and vascular cognitive impairment. Int J Mol Sci, 20:2656.
20. Carr N (2010) The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. New York, NY, W. W. Norton.
21. Chang YH, Wu IC, Hsiung CA (2021) Reading activity prevents long term decline in cognitive function in older people: Evidence from a 14 year longitudinal study. Int Psychogeriatr, 33:63-74.
22. Chung TD, Linville RM, Guo Z (2022) Effects of acute and chronic oxidative stress on the blood–brain barrier in 2D and 3D in vitro models. Fluids Barriers CNS, 19:33.
23. Clemente Suárez VJ, Beltrán Velasco AI, Herrero Roldán S, Rodriguez Besteiro S, Martínez Guardado I, Martín Rodríguez A et al. (2024) Digital device usage and childhood cognitive development: Exploring effects on cognitive abilities. Children (Basel), 11:1299.
24. Council on Communications and Media (2016) Media use in school aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 138:e20162592.
25. Cullen J, Muntz A, Marsh S, Simmonds L, Mayes J, O'Neill K et al. (2024) Impacts of digital technologies on child and adolescent health: Recommendations for safer screen use in educational settings. N Z Med J, 137:9-13.
26. Cytowic RE (2024) Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age: Coping with Digital Distraction and Sensory Overload. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
27. Czeisler CA, Gooley JJ (2007) Sleep and circadian rhythms in humans. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, 72:579-597.
28. Davidson RJ, McEwen BS (2012) Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well being. Nat Neurosci, 15:689-695.
29. De Prisco M, Oliva V, Fico G, Radua J, Grande I, Roberto N et al. (2023) Emotion dysregulation in bipolar disorder compared to other mental illnesses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Med, 53:7484-7503.
30. Dresp Langley B, Hutt A (2022) Digital addiction and sleep. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19:6910.
31. Edwards KS, Shin M (2017) Media multitasking and implicit learning. Atten Percept Psychophys, 79(5):1535-1549.
32. Firth J, Torous J, Stubbs B, Firth JA, Steiner GZ, Smith L et al. (2019) The “online brain”: How the Internet may be changing our cognition. World Psychiatry, 18:119-129.
33. Gerlich M (2025) AI tools in society: Impacts on cognitive offloading and the future of critical thinking. Societies, 15:6.
34. Goddings AL, Beltz A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Braams BR (2019) Understanding the role of puberty in structural and functional development of the adolescent brain. J Res Adolesc, 29:32-53.
35. Gomez Pinilla F (2011) The combined effects of exercise and foods in preventing neurological and cognitive disorders. Prev Med, 52(Suppl 1):S75-S80.
36. Holt Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D (2015) Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci, 10:227-237.
37. Hong SB, Zalesky A, Cocchi L, Fornito A, Choi EJ, Kim HH, Yi SH (2013) Decreased functional brain connectivity in adolescents with internet addiction. PLoS One, 8:e57831.
38. Howard M, Smith P, Allen J (2023) Enhancing attention through co viewing: Evidence from digital learning environments. J Educ Technol, 44:145-162.
39. Hutton JS, Dudley J, Horowitz-Kraus T, DeWitt T, Holland SK (2020) Associations between screen-based media use and brain white matter ıntegrity in preschool-aged children. JAMA Pediatr, 174:e193869.
40. Jourdren M, Bucaille A, Ropars J (2023) The impact of screen exposure on attention abilities in young children: A systematic review. Pediatr Neurol, 142:76-88.
41. Kabat-Zinn J (1990) Full Catastrophe Living: Using The Wisdom of Your Body and Mind To Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York, Dell.
42. Kalani M, Anjankar A (2024) Revolutionizing neurology: The role of artificial intelligence in advancing diagnosis and treatment. Cureus, 16:e61706.
43. Kemp S (2024) Digital 2024: October Global Statshot Report. Singapore, DataReportal.
44. Khatoon S, Kalam N, Rashid S, Bano G (2023) Effects of gut microbiota on neurodegenerative diseases. Front Aging Neurosci, 15:e1145241.
45. Kim S, Jung UJ, Kim SR (2024) Role of oxidative stress in blood brain barrier disruption and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidants (Basel), 13:1462.
46. Knezevic E, Nenic K, Milanovic V, Knezevic NN (2023) The role of cortisol in chronic stress, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychological disorders. Cells, 12:2726.
47. Knopman DS, Amieva H, Petersen RC, Chételat G, Holtzman DM, Hyman BT et al. (2021) Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers, 7:33.
48. Korkmaz Z, Çiçek İ, Yıldırım M, Ünsal F (2023) Sosyal medya bağımlılığı ve uyku kalitesi arasındaki ilişki: Sanal dünyanın ergenler üzerindeki etkisi. Yaşadıkça Eğitim, 37:844-856.
49. Korte M (2020) The impact of the digital revolution on human brain and behavior: Where do we stand? Dialogues Clin Neurosci, 22:101-111.
50. Kostyrka Allchorne K, Cooper NR, Simpson A (2017) The relationship between television exposure and children’s cognition and behaviour: A systematic review. Dev Rev, 44:19-58.
51. Kringelbach ML, Berridge KC (2010) The neuroscience of happiness and pleasure. Soc Res (New York), 77:659-678.
52. Kusnanto H, Agustian D, Hilmanto D (2018) Biopsychosocial model of illnesses in primary care: A hermeneutic literature review. J Family Med Prim Care, 7:497-500.
53. Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD (2017) Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 14:311.
54. Lecca D, Jung YJ, Scerba MT, Hwang I, Kim YK, Kim S et al. (2022) Role of chronic neuroinflammation in neuroplasticity and cognitive function: A hypothesis. Alzheimers Dement, 18:2327-2340.
55. Lee D, Namkoong K, Lee J, Lee BO, Jung YC (2019) Lateral orbitofrontal gray matter abnormalities in subjects with problematic smartphone use. J Behav Addict, 8:404-411.
56. Li K, Jiang S, Yan X, Li J (2023) Mechanism study of social media overload on health self efficacy and anxiety. Heliyon, 10:e23326.
57. Li Y, Li G, Liu L, Wu H (2020) Correlations between mobile phone addiction and anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and poor sleep quality among college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Behav Addict, 9:551-571.
58. Liss JL, Seleri Assunção S, Cummings J, Atri A, Geldmacher DS, Candela SF et al. (2021) Practical recommendations for timely, accurate diagnosis of symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (MCI and dementia) in primary care: A review and synthesis. J Intern Med, 290:310-334.
59. Liu JL, Sun JT, Hu HL, Wang HY, Kang YX, Chen TQ et al. (2023) Structural and functional neural alterations in internet addiction: A study protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Investig, 20:69-74.
60. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S et al. (2020) Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet, 396:413-446.
61. Lupien SJ, McEwen BS, Gunnar MR, Heim C (2009) Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci, 10:434-445.
62. Montag C, Diefenbach S (2022) Towards homo digitalis: The digital revolution and its impact on human nature. Behav Sci (Basel), 12:47.
63. Muppalla SK, Vuppalapati S, Reddy Pulliahgaru A, Sreenivasulu H (2023) Effects of excessive screen time on child development: An updated review and strategies for management. Cureus, 15: e40608.
64. Nakshine VS, Thute P, Khatib MN, Sarkar B (2022) Increased screen time as a cause of declining physical, psychological health, and sleep patterns: A literary review. Cureus, 14:e30051.
65. Ophir E, Nass C, Wagner AD (2009) Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 106:15583-15587.
66. Oxford University Press (2024) Brain rot named Oxford Word of the Year 2024. https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/. (Accessed 2.2.2025).
67. Özpençe İ (2024) Brain rot: Overconsumption of online content (An essay on the publicness social media). Journal of Business Innovation and Governance, 7:48-60.
68. Padır MA, Doğrusever C, Tansel B, Vangölü MS (2025) Equipping Pplice officers with resources: perceived control of internal states and suicide tendencies among Turkish Police officers, unraveling the serial mediating roles of resilience and depression. Curr Psychol. doi: 10.1007/s12144-025-07891-z
69. Pariser E (2021) The Filter Bubble: How the New Personalized Web is Changing What We Read and How We Think. New York, Penguin Books.
70. Park CS, Lee JH (2023) Cognitive impairments and neurodegeneration: Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Brain Res Rev, 47:115-125.
71. Paulus MP, Squeglia LM, Bagot K, Jacobus J, Kuplicki R, Breslin FJ et al. (2019) Screen media activity and brain structure in youth: Evidence for diverse structural correlation networks from the ABCD study. Neuroimage, 185:140-153.
72. Pennycook G, Rand DG (2022) The psychology of fake news. Trends Cogn Sci, 25:388-402.
73. Petro NM, Picci G, Webert LK, Schantell M, Son JJ, Ward TW et al. (2025) Interactive effects of social media use and puberty on resting-state cortical activity and mental health symptoms. Dev Cogn Neurosci, 71:101479.
74. Prensky M (2001) Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizons, 9(5):1-6.
75. Przybylski AK, Weinstein N (2013) Can you connect with me now? How the presence of mobile communication technology influences face to face conversation quality. J Soc Pers Relat, 30:3-14.
76. Rosen LD, Carrier LM, Cheever NA (2013) Facebook and texting made me do it: Media induced task switching while studying. Comput Human Behav, 29:948-958.
77. Rutkowska A, Cieślik B, Tomaszczyk A, Szczepańska Gieracha J (2022) Mental health conditions among e learning students during the COVID 19 pandemic. Front Public Health, 10:871934.
78. Ryan EB, Bannister KA, Anas AP (2009) The dementia narrative: Writing to reclaim social identity. J Aging Stud, 23:145-157.
79. Saad HA, Marzouk M, Abdelrahman H, Moradikor N (2025) Mechanisms underlying stress effects on the brain: Basic concepts and clinical implications. Prog Brain Res, 291:21-47.
80. Sandi C (2013) Stress and cognition. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci, 4:245-261.
81. Santiago JA, Potashkin JA (2023) Physical activity and lifestyle modifications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Front Aging Neurosci, 15:1185671.
82. Satıcı SA, Gocet Tekin E, Deniz ME, Satici B (2023) Doomscrolling scale: Its association with personality traits, psychological distress, social media use, and wellbeing. Appl Res Qual Life, 18:833-847.
83. Schultz W (2016) Dopamine reward prediction error coding. Dialogues Clin Neurosci, 18:23-32.
84. Schwarz CM (2024) 58.2 likes, follows, swipes: This is your brain on social media. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 63: S82.
85. Sherman LE, Greenfield PM, Hernandez LM, Dapretto M (2018) Peer influence via Instagram: Effects on brain and behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Child Dev, 89:37-47.
86. Siddarth P, Hodes JF, Small GW (2025) Promoting brain health in a digital world. In: Encyclopedia of the human brain, 2nd ed. (Ed JH Grafman):540-557. New York, Elsevier.
87. Silvani MI, Werder R, Perret C (2022) The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review. Front Physiol, 13:943108.
88. Southwick SM, Charney DS (2012) Resilience: The science of mastering life’s greatest challenges. New York, NY, Cambridge University Press.
89. Swing EL, Gentile DA, Anderson CA, Walsh DA (2010) Television and video game exposure and the development of attention problems. Pediatrics, 126:214-221.
90. Tarannum T, Moniea HM, Sarah MK, Miah MK (2025) Internet usage patterns and academic performance: A comparative study of public and private university students in Bangladesh. Educ Inf Technol, 30:18397–18431.
91. Thoreau HD (2022) Walden (Transl. MÜ Eriş). İstanbul, Can Yayınları.
92. Turkle S (2021) Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other. New York, Basic Books.
93. Twenge JM (2023) Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. New York, Atria Books.
94. Twenge JM, Campbell WK (2018) Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Prev Med Rep, 12:271-283.
95. Twenge JM, Joiner TE, Rogers ML, Martin GN (2020) Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clin Psychol Sci, 8:216-229.
96. Uncapher MR, Thieu K, Wagner AD (2016) Media multitasking and memory: Differences in working memory and long-term memory. Psychon Bull Rev, 23:483-490.
97. Verma A, Kumar A, Chauhan S, Sharma N, Kalani A, Gupta PC (2025) Interconnections of screen time with neuroinflammation. Mol Cell Biochem, 480:1519-1534.
98. Wang X, Zhang L, Li Y (2023) Social media overload and its impact on cognitive function: A neuroimaging study. Neurosci Lett, 794:135-141.
99. Wang Y, Zou Z, Song H, Xu X, Wang H, d’Oleire Uquillas F et al. (2016) Altered gray matter volume and white matter integrity in college students with mobile phone dependence. Front Psychol, 7:597.
100. Wiedermann CJ, Barbieri V, Plagg B, Marino P, Piccoliori G, Engl A (2023) Fortifying the foundations: A comprehensive approach to enhancing mental health support in educational policies amidst crises. Healthcare (Basel), 11:1423.
101. Wingenfeld K, Wolf OT (2014) Stress, memory, and the hippocampus. Front Neurol Neurosci, 34:109-120.
102. Yao YW, Liu L, Ma SS, Shi XH, Zhou N, Zhang JT et al. (2017) Functional and structural neural alterations in Internet gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 83:313-324.
103. Yousef AMF, Alshamy A, Tlili A, Metwally AHS (2025) Demystifying the new dilemma of brain rot in the digital era: A review. Brain Sci, 15:283.
104. Zawar I, Mattos MK, Manning C, Patrie J, Quigg M (2023) Sleep disturbances predict cognitive decline in cognitively healthy adults. J Alzheimers Dis, 92:1427-1438.
105. Zhong T, Li S, Liu P, Wang Y, Chen L (2024) The impact of education and occupation on cognitive impairment: A cross-sectional study in China. Front Aging Neurosci, 16:1435626.