Professor Dr. Ashkin Asen Khasturk, a neurosurgeon, warned that unnecessary and recreational use of social media causes brain rot.
Khasturk, who works at the Cancer Research and Training Hospital of the Ministry of Health in the Turkish capital, Ankara, said in an interview with Anadolu, that brain rot affects all age groups.
He explained that the term brain rot is related to excessive and continuous use of social media and the endless content on those platforms, which leads to brain numbness.
Although this term may seem scary at first, it should not be understood as a medical diagnosis but rather a description of a health condition, according to Khasturk.
He continued that excessive use of social media leads to the deterioration of a person’s intellectual functions, such as memory, social isolation, and thus the development of cases of depression due to isolation.
This December, the Oxford Dictionary, one of the most important and oldest dictionaries in the English language, chose the term brain rot as the term of the year 2024, in a vote that took place with the participation of more than 37,000 people.
A common phenomenon
Professor Khasturk said that unhealthy use of social media leads to the brain being filled with what looks like waste, resulting from watching thousands of videos, which causes harm to it.
He added that brain rot is a popular term that refers to a general condition resulting from abnormal use of social media, such as the constant use of mobile devices, which leads to a deterioration in intellectual functions and human relationships.
Khasturk explained that there are some behaviors that indicate brain rot, the most prominent of which are living with the phone constantly, frantically following notifications, and preferring means of communication over human relationships and various hobbies.
He pointed out that this phenomenon has become increasingly common among many, after social media has become an indispensable part of daily life.
Negative effects
Professor Khasturk said that although brain rot affects all age groups, children and adolescents are most affected.
He added: Studies conducted in the United States in 2023 showed that dependence on social media and mobile phones has increased significantly, as it rose from 40% to 70% in the group between 6 and 14 years, while the time of daily use of the Internet among teenagers reached 9 hours. .
Commenting on these data, Khasturk said that this trend raises concern about the future of future generations.
He continued: Adolescence is a crucial stage in personality formation, as excessive use of social media affects personality building and the development of social and emotional skills.
He pointed out that Western societies have begun to take measures to reduce the effects of brain rot, such as reducing the time children and adolescents spend interacting with social media and focusing on their real-life social relationships.
Confronting brain rot
Professor Khasturk called on families to take effective measures to reduce addiction to mobile phones and screens among children and adolescents.
He added: It is important that we take serious measures to prevent addiction to screens and phones, such as imposing a minimum age for using mobile phones, for example 16 years, and taking measures such as collecting phones from children by parents after a certain hour.
He also suggested that measures to prevent addiction to screens include the possibility of setting limits on usage time, and turning off the Internet during sleep times and social occasions such as dinner or conversations with friends.
Khasturk concluded his speech by saying: It is important for adults to be role models in the face of brain rot. We must adopt a moderate pattern of using screens, highlight the importance of hobbies and human relationships, and work to create areas and times free of devices in our daily lives.