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, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center, and physician-in-chief for behavioral health services at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.
“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” on 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.
Older people are affected as well, he told Newsmax.
“There was a study of older people who use the internet extensively and they found that there were problems with short term memory and mental flexibility.
Small said “pacing ourselves is important and not spending hours and hours online.”
“If you’re going to spend time online, mix it up,” he added.
“The other thing to do is live a healthy active lifestyle; physical exercise will increase brain circulation cellular growth and mitigate those effects of trivial online activity, so the bottom line is pace yourself, enjoy yourself — just don’t overdo it.”
GET TODAY :
is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the channel on your cable system –
Sign up for and get , our streaming channel and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch anytime, anywhere!
Start your now:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
