Tuesday 12 / May / 2026
Muscat: The rising rates of addiction to smartphones and social media platforms are contributing to a phenomenon known as “brain rot,” which researchers say is closely linked to potential effects on the cognitive and behavioural abilities of individuals, particularly among young people.
Global studies have confirmed that “brain rot” is not merely an internet catchphrase but a genuine state of digital cognitive decline resulting from the excessive consumption of fast‑paced, disjointed content. Constant scrolling through short‑form videos — such as those on TikTok and Reels — leads to diminished focus, making activities that require sustained concentration, like reading or studying, feel dull and exhausting. Over time, this can result in chronic mental distraction.
Dr. Tamadhar Said Al Mahrouqi, a physician in behavioural medicine and mental health at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) Hospital, said that “brain rot” is not yet recognised as a medical or psychiatric diagnosis in official scientific classifications used in behavioural medicine and mental health. Rather, it is a cultural‑descriptive term referring to excessive engagement with superficial or rapidly consumable digital content, and the possible decline in cognitive abilities such as attention, concentration and cognitive endurance. Oxford University Press selected “brain rot” as its Word of the Year in 2024, reflecting growing concern over the overconsumption of low‑value digital content.
Continuous consumption of short, fast and disjointed content weakens cognitive endurance — the ability to engage with a lengthy idea or complex analysis for a sufficient period, she said. The brain becomes accustomed to rapid switching between intermittent stimuli, which may diminish the capacity for deep reading, analytical thinking and forming logical connections between pieces of information. The problem is not occasional viewing of short content, but its transformation into the primary mode of knowledge consumption, which may adversely affect creativity, analysis and problem‑solving.
Dopamine plays a pivotal role in the reward and anticipation system, she noted. Digital platforms do not merely provide pleasure; they offer variable and unpredictable rewards — a funny video, a notification, a like, a comment or provocative content. This pattern resembles “intermittent reinforcement,” one of the most powerful behavioural learning patterns for habit formation. With infinite scrolling and algorithms designed to anticipate user preferences, the phone becomes a continuous source of instant rewards, which may weaken tolerance for boredom and increase compulsive seeking of immediate stimulation.
Potential associations exist between excessive consumption of fast digital content and increased distractibility, social comparison, fear of missing out (FOMO) and sleep disturbance, Dr. Al Mahrouqi explained. These factors may contribute to higher rates of anxiety and stress. Some studies on short‑video addiction suggest a link between excessive use and diminished attentional control and academic procrastination — factors that may negatively affect mental health and social functioning.
She said it cannot be said that the new generation possesses only “momentary memory”; such a generalisation is imprecise. However, the density of fast, fragmented content may reduce opportunities to consolidate information into long‑term memory, which requires attention, repetition, meaning and connection to prior knowledge. When consumption is rapid and scattered, information often remains at the level of momentary impression and does not transform into stable knowledge. The danger, therefore, is not the disappearance of memory, but the diminished quality of cognitive encoding and depth of processing.
Dr. Moammar bin Ali Al Tobi, an Omani academic and researcher, said that the term “brain rot” has emerged as a result of addiction to digital platforms, electronic games and unbalanced engagement with artificial intelligence models, leading to a state of mental lethargy or dullness from repeated consumption of fast‑paced digital technologies. The phenomenon operates through repeated exposure and behavioural addiction patterns, whereby the brain’s dopamine reward system — responsible for brief feelings of pleasure and satisfaction — becomes calibrated to expect rapid, intermittent stimulation.
The problem is compounded in children, he added, as excessive use of digital platforms weakens the efficiency of certain neural networks, negatively affecting core cognitive skills such as concentration, working memory and analytical ability. The problem is not limited to children; multiple studies indicate that the cumulative effects of intensive digital consumption can also affect young people and adults over the long term.
There are several approaches to practising what is known as digital fasting, Dr. Al Tobi explained. The most effective are based on a clear plan and firm resolve, lasting at least twenty days or more. During that period, the individual commits to valuable alternative activities — exercise, reading, free writing, creative expression and other hobbies — that naturally and balancedly reactivate mental capacities.
He added that during this phase, the individual also commits to eliminating or disabling digital platforms of all kinds, or at least avoiding them almost completely. It is also advisable to reduce phone use to an absolute minimum, allocating a specific time to respond to calls and messages — for example, one or two hours a day — while spending the rest of the day in a state of conscious disconnection from digital consumption.
Iman Abdullah Al Kiyoumi, a counselling and guidance specialist at the Student Counselling Centre of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), said that “brain rot” is not classified as an organic medical disease in the strict sense, but rather a “behavioural‑cognitive syndrome” describing a state of mental stagnation and lethargy caused by under‑investing in the brain’s higher capacities, such as deep thinking and logical analysis.
Short‑form content poses a genuine threat to the next generation’s future if it becomes the dominant pattern of knowledge consumption, she explained. Field indicators and counselling sessions show a notable decline in the ability of students and young people to concentrate for long periods compared with previous generations.
The difference between “conscious use” of technology and “digital addiction” lies in the element of control, she noted. The conscious individual controls the time and quality of content according to their priorities, while the addicted person develops compulsive behaviour that leads to a loss of sense of time and negatively affects quality of life, academic performance and professional achievement.
“Conscious regulation” is the optimal and realistic approach to confronting the phenomenon, rather than outright prohibition, which can backfire, she said. She called for a healthy balance between digital interaction and other mental and life activities to nurture a generation capable of analytical thinking and sustained creativity.
Omani authorities are paying growing attention to the challenges of digital addiction, underscoring the role of family and society in protecting young people from the negative effects of social media, raising awareness of safe and beneficial platform use, and studying associated psychological phenomena such as isolation, anxiety and depression. These authorities operate under a strategy that integrates educational, preventive and technical roles.
