We've long joked about the "zombie scroll" — endless TikToks, Reels, and Shorts hypnotising youth into digital stupor. But a new Griffith University meta-analysis suggests the joke might be closer to reality than we feared. Across 71 studies and nearly 100,000 participants, researchers have found a consistent pattern of cognitive harm from heavy consumption of short-form videos (SFVs).

The verdict is stark: TikToks and Instagram Reels don't just eat your time, they chip away at your brain's ability to sustain attention, reason through complexity, and engage in deep, reflective thought.

The Mechanics of the Mind Trap

Short-form videos are tailor-made for dopamine hits. Every swipe delivers rapid feedback: a joke, a dance, a shocking clip. The algorithms behind these platforms know exactly how to maximise engagement. But the unintended consequence is cognitive fatigue. Our brains are trained to expect instant rewards, leaving less capacity for extended focus.

The Griffith meta-analysis highlights what researchers call disruptions in attentional control and inhibitory processes. In plain English: heavy SFV users struggle to filter distractions, resist impulses, and concentrate over extended periods. This isn't just a mild inconvenience, it strikes at the core of learning, problem-solving, and meaningful work.

Tasks like reading a complex text, solving multi-step problems, or planning a project, become more exhausting. The very activities that built civilisations — patience, deep reflection, sustained effort — are undermined in real time by 15-second dopamine bursts.

Civilisation at Risk

National Review's Michael Brendan Dougherty takes it even further, linking our short-form addiction to civilisational decay. When attention spans collapse, so does trust in institutions, the capacity for reasoned debate, and the shared cultural scaffolding that holds society together.

"The last inherited habits of civilization are giving way," Dougherty warns. "Most things you thought were solid in our civilization have been vaporized and evacuated…How can trust be achieved when thoughts are flattened into 15-second video shorts?"

It's a sobering vision: a population glued to algorithmic snippets, less able to reason, debate, or hold governments accountable. Democracy itself depends on a citizenry capable of sustained attention, and the Griffith study suggests we're undermining that foundation.

Are We Becoming Zombies?

The metaphor of the "zombie brain" feels literal in this context. When attention is fragmented, executive function declines, and higher-order thinking diminishes, it's not just metaphorical "dumbing down" — it's a measurable neurological shift. Heavy SFV users may be training their brains to prefer the quick, easy, and entertaining over the complex, nuanced, and challenging.

What Comes Next?

This isn't an argument to throw your kids' phones into the trash. But awareness is the first step. Platforms engineered for endless scrolling thrive on our cognitive weaknesses. If we want to reclaim focus, creativity, and the ability to think deeply, we need deliberate interventions:

Digital hygiene: limit SFV consumption, schedule deep work sessions free from screens.

Cognitive training: read books, engage in debates, tackle complex problem-solving tasks.

Cultural pushback: support media and platforms that reward sustained attention rather than mindless swiping.

The Griffith study is a wake-up call. TikTok and Reels may be fun, but they are also powerful engines of brain rot, turning our mental faculties into short-circuiting zombies. Civilisation is built on thought, reason, and reflection, and if we surrender these to 15-second dopamine bursts, the cost may be much higher than lost hours.

https://modernity.news/2025/11/17/tiktok-zombie-brain-rot-confirmed-by-major-study/