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‘Brain rot’: is TikTok causing brain abnormalities?

A new study seems to prove what we've all suspected: bingeing on short-form videos is bad for our brains. But not all experts are convinced…

REALITY CHECK

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Named as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024, ‘brain rot’ is defined as the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state” as a result of watching too much “trivial or unchallenging” content online, such as TikTok or Instagram Reels. The term is often bandied around in a jokey fashion, but what if there’s a grain of truth to it?

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BBC Science Focus Magazine
March 2025
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