Key points
- Smartphones have significant effects on the brain: Dr Nelson
- The addiction makes the brain work harder than necessary
- Going for outdoor activities can help in recovery: Nelson
ISLAMABAD: Katy Paige Rosenberg, a freshman at the University of North Carolina Asheville, recently recognised the impact excessive phone use was having on her.
She estimated she spent about nine hours a day on her phone, leaving her unable to focus because she constantly needed to check it, according to CBS News.
Stories like hers are becoming more common, but now there is scientific evidence to explain the effects, according to Dr Brent Nelson, a psychiatrist and chief medical information officer at Newport Healthcare, a network of mental health treatment centers for teens.
“Smartphones have significant effects on the brain,” Nelson says, referencing MRI scans from a 2021 study in Korea that revealed a major increase in brain activity in smartphone-addicted individuals, showing the negative consequences of addiction.
“Brain rot”
Nelson explained that the bright, active brain images from the study indicated that smartphone addiction makes the brain work harder than necessary, even for simple tasks, leading to decreased attention and heightened distractions—what is now being referred to as “brain rot.”
“Take school as an example,” Nelson says. “A student trying to focus in class will be distracted and not engage with the teacher.”
He notes that emerging research indicates that these changes in the brain are linked to behavioural issues such as depression and anxiety, with even greater risks yet to be uncovered.
Social media’s influence
Rosenberg shared her own experience with social media’s influence, particularly TikTok, where videos of people using substances like edibles before school made her feel pressured to try them to fit in. Eventually, she started self-medicating.
In response, Rosenberg sought treatment last year. She believes that without it, she might not have made it through.
During treatment, she gave up her phone and discovered other activities, like drawing and playing guitar, that helped her rewire her brain. These analog activities, which harken back to previous generations, were key in her recovery.
Nelson says that activities like playing outside or drinking from a hose—reflective of the Gen X mindset—have been shown to help people recover and feel better, making it easier to navigate daily life.
