Brain Rot

[LightAngel]

It really is important not to be online too much, and now the science is finally catching up to what people like me have been feeling for years - that our minds and bodies weren't built for constant digital stimulation. 

I'm glad the conversation is shifting toward evidence, because protecting cognitive health (especially in developing brains) can't wait any longer! 




New medical evidence reveals how too much screen time is shrinking the brains of young Australians.

[quintessentone]

It depends on the type of screen time.

"Research suggests that high levels of passive screen time, especially prolonged TV watching, are associated with a higher risk of dementia. The risk increases when passive consumption replaces mentally engaging activities."

"TL;DR:

• Passive screen time (scrolling, autoplay, background TV) keeps your brain in low engagement mode
  
• Studies link high passive consumption, especially TV, to increased dementia risk
  
• Active screen use (learning, creating, social interaction) helps protect cognitive function
  
• Midlife habits matter most for long-term brain health
  
• Small shifts like turning off autoplay or creating before consuming can build cognitive reserve"
  

...as opposed to active screen time engagement...

"Yes, engaging screen time can improve cognitive function and potentially lower dementia risk, whereas passive consumption may have neutral or negative effects. 

• Active Engagement: Activities like internet browsing, video calls, and problem-solving activate neural pathways in decision-making and reasoning areas, supporting memory and attention. A meta-analysis of 57 studies found that adults over 50 who regularly use digital technology had a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment. 
  
• Gaming Benefits: A 2026 review of 133 studies indicated that video gaming is associated with improvements in memory, spatial reasoning, visual attention, and cognitive flexibility, likely due to neuroplasticity and constant mental challenge. 
  
• Passive vs. Active: Conversely, mentally passive screen time, such as mindless scrolling or binge-watching TV, is linked to a higher risk of dementia.  Replacing one hour of passive sedentary time with active mental engagement was associated with a 7% reduction in dementia risk. 
  
• Child Development: Research is mixed for children; while some studies link high screen time to structural brain changes, large-scale studies like the ABCD Study found no meaningful association between screen time and poor cognitive or mental well-being in children aged 9–12, emphasizing that content and context matter more than duration alone. " (AI)
  

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-a...your-brain

[Orby]

The screens. Its alright as an info or discussion event especially if you work in solitray confinement and see no humanity for 8 - 12 hrs a day. But Kicking a football, using a fishing rod, going out for a night time walk and watching the stars / sats / ufos, is needed as a balance. Getting back onto paper books too. and Scalextric. also interest resurrected in last millenium record players. Defo a good feel to having real trhings going on.

[LightAngel]

The screens. Its alright as an info or discussion event especially if you work in solitray confinement and see no humanity for 8 - 12 hrs a day. But Kicking a football, using a fishing rod, going out for a night time walk and watching the stars / sats / ufos, is needed as a balance. Getting back onto paper books too. and Scalextric. also interest resurrected in last millenium record players. Defo a good feel to having real trhings going on.

Good post.

I love paper books, I want to read more of them.  

[DijonEnjoyer]

It's screentime in general.   It is the manipulation of the attention and focus of an individual.  The scary part is that it is more than just displaying a video/game/theme on a screen... humans have been studied, the EKG's have been broken down... it's about captivating the attention span using patterns and algorithms based on human instincts.

If you compare old disney movies to new ones you may notice a trend in how the  movies are presented.   Old movies do not have the patterns/algorithms of captivation.  The 'stupid' that is injected into modern movies is more or less 'filler' between calculated moments of emotional release, enough to keep a kid hanging on until the next (dopamine hit).

When the movies go from iliciting an emotional response, directly to 'stupid' filler material as a build up to the next emotional response moment, the pattern can almost be visualized as a song (hooks, chorus, etc included)

Compare Barney the dinosaur from its inception to its modern presentation.  Before it was about lessons, morals, stories, games...  the focus was on the kids interacting and learning; the new ones are all about watching the dinosaur characters dance and sing meaningless songs (entertainment captivation) and hardly anything about the kids interacting, lessons, morals, etc.  No longer about learning anything, all about captivation, babysitting with the TV.

Think of it as training the mind to be fickle, weak, pushed around by a simple breeze; an attack on the mechanism that creates focus.

[andy06shake]

The screens. Its alright as an info or discussion event especially if you work in solitray confinement and see no humanity for 8 - 12 hrs a day. But Kicking a football, using a fishing rod, going out for a night time walk and watching the stars / sats / ufos, is needed as a balance. Getting back onto paper books too. and Scalextric. also interest resurrected in last millenium record players. Defo a good feel to having real trhings going on.

Scalextric! 

Loved it as a kid.

Pricy now Orby, them again, what's not???

[Orby]

Good post.

I love paper books, I want to read more of them.  

Oh yeah paper books are wonderful. Going camping, sitting outside all day with a book. In the fresh air. With the sky. Keep the dementia at bay. Sounds like a plan.

[Orby]

Scalextric! 

Loved it as a kid.

Pricy now Orby, them again, what's not???

Never had one as a kid Andy so got a pair now. Geezer sold em for £45 the two sets. Ebay or Market Place. Minis. Can't remember the other sets name, it's like F1 or Grand Prix or something. Proper from the 90's Made in England Scalextric too. What fun.

[andy06shake]

Never had one as a kid Andy so got a pair now. Geezer sold em for £45 the two sets. Ebay or Market Place. Minis. Can't remember the other sets name, it's like F1 or Grand Prix or something. Proper from the 90's Made in England Scalextric too. What fun.

Sounds like a bargain. 

[Orby]

Sounds like a bargain. 

Quite fancy somit called a Vectrex. Holy smoke I was so desperate as a kid for a Vectrex. Then again it's got a screen, might be a dementia cause again. Just keep collecting all the stuff one couldn't have as a kid. Stick it in the afterlife room. Rammed with 80's games. Just like the Pharoahs.