People are being warned that too much screen time can ‘literally fry your brain’. The term ‘popcorn brain’ has been coined to name this phenomenon as it gives a good visual idea of what constant social media and screen time can do to our brains long term.
Just like kernels of corn exploding into popcorn as they heat up, our brains do something similar when stimulated by our screens, experts say.
Although it does not make a physical pop, the quick and scattered one-by-one nature of social media and the online world teeming with information at our fingertips can send our brains into a ‘frenzy’.
Dr Aditi Nerurkar, a Harvard physician who specialises in mental health, spoke with Steven Bartlett, of BBC’s Dragons Den, on his podcast show, Diary of a CEO about the dangers of screen time.
She told Steven: “Most people have popcorn brain… It is a biological phenomenon, coined by a psychologist name Dr Levy and it is essentially your brain circuitry starting to pop based on over stimulation.
“It’s not that your brain is actually popping but it’s that sensation of popcorning because of spending too much time online. It is hard to disengage from what’s happening online because there’s a constant information stream and it is difficult to live fully offline where life moves at a decidedly slower place.”
This is something “nearly everyone does”, according to Dr Nerurkar. She points out that it’s almost uncommon not to have your phone out when you’re waiting in line at the shops or walking down the street.
She added that, when we are feeling stressed, we are “especially prone” to popcorn brain. She said that an “onslaught of bad news” feeds our “primal urge to scroll for danger”.
Dr Nerurkar claimed that people don’t need to become “digital monks” and abstain from screens forever. She said: “It’s about setting digital boundaries. In every relationship in your life, you have boundaries – with your partner, children, colleagues – because relationships need them to thrive so why don’t we have one with our phones? With our phones it is simply porous.”
On TikTok, New York University neuroscientist Dr Wendy Suzuki also addressed the phenomenon of ‘popcorn brain’ and how we can combat it. She said: “Popcorn brain refers to the constant stimulation our brains get from all of our digital devices. Our brains get used to those quick, intense bursts of information and instant gratification.
“That might just sound like normal, everyday life to you, but long-term popcorn brain can lead to cognitive impairments like decreased attention span, anxiety and decreased productivity. So, if you think you might be suffering from popcorn brain, here is what I suggest you do (this week).
“At least once this week, put that phone away and engage in your favourite non-digital hobby – like reading, painting, music, boxing. Whatever it is, make sure it’s not on a device and make sure you love it.”