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TikTok has more or less reshaped the way we use the internet, with younger generations even treating it like a search engine. It’s now the birthplace of most online trends, leaving virtually no corner of lifestyle culture untouched.
And with 1.6 billion global users on TikTok alone, plus a world that’s more chronically online than ever, it’s hardly surprising that we’ve coined a term for its side-effects: brain rot.
It’s even spawned its own dialect.
We all know someone who can’t resist dropping TikTok lingo into everyday conversation (cue the mysterious “6–7”, leaving us clueless millennials scrambling for meaning). But a new study suggests that short-form content, from TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, may be having a noticeable impact on how our brains function.
The research, published by the American Psychological Association, analysed data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies, examining how short-form video use relates to cognition and mental health.
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The findings were hard to ignore: heavier short-form consumption was consistently associated with poorer cognitive performance, particularly when it comes to attention and inhibitory control, the skills that help us stay focused and resist distractions.
The study doesn’t claim these apps are rewiring our brains entirely, but it does show a clear pattern: the more you scroll, the harder it can be to concentrate.
The researchers also found links between high short-form use and several aspects of mental wellbeing, including greater anxiety, more stress, disrupted sleep and a general drop in overall mood, though these effects tended to be weaker than the cognitive ones.
As for self-esteem and body image, the picture is less conclusive. The study didn’t find a strong association either way, suggesting we still don’t fully understand how this constant feed of bite-sized content affects how we see ourselves.
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- Doctor explains dangers of TikTok withdrawal symptoms
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