Excessive usage of TikTok and Instagram Reels is damaging cognitive performance, the American Psychological Association has said in a recent study.
Data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies found that the more short-form content a person watches, the poorer cognitive performances they had in terms of attention and inhibitory control – meaning the more complex they found it to focus.
Researchers found that “repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning.” In short, researchers said it can contribute to brain rot.