Reviews
S., Mathura, T., Arunkumar (2023). “The Impact of Digital Technology, Social Media, and Artificial
Intelligence on Brain Function and Cognition”. The researcher examines that the rapid rise of digital
technologies has greatly enhanced daily life by offering unparallel convenience and connectivity.
Through a comparative study between three different age groups (children, young adults, older
adults). They found that excessive screen use is associated with lower expressive language skills in
children, fear of missing out (FOMO) and the constant compulsion to stay connected in younger
adults and not as much damaging effects on older adults they use it as a tool to social connections,
improve digital literacy and reduce loneliness. This technological advancement has also brought
attentional overload, characterized by continuous partial attention - a state where individuals
disperse their focus across multiple activities without fully committing to any single task.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2021). “A test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the
relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents”. Observation from
this paper highlights an interesting dynamic between different types of digital media usage and their
cognitive impacts. a two years longitudinal study was done on a sample size of 3000+ individuals of
15-16 yrs. While the total time spent on media doesn't always predict attentional issues when
controlling for other factors, media multitasking stands out as a contributor to attentional problems.
The association with ADHD-like symptoms underscores the breakage in focus that multitasking can
introduce. On the other hand, playing video games may offer cognitive benefits, such as faster
response speed during attentional control tasks. This aligns with studies suggesting that certain types
of digital engagement, like gaming, can enhance specific cognitive functions despite of various other
potential concerns.
Hilman, Ethan. (2024). “This is Your Brain on Social Media: How Social Media Use is Changing our
Attention Spans”. The researcher reviewed several papers with a collective sample size of more than
350 university students and investigates a potential negative association between excessive social
media consumption and declined attention spans among young adults. confirmable evidence
suggests that the widespread adoption of social media platforms may contribute to a decline in
average attention span, with possible adverse effects on academic achievement. Furthermore,
studies have reported weakened connectivity within the brain’s attention-related neural networks
among individuals exhibiting problematic patterns of social media use. although, it is important to
note that some investigations have found no significant relationship between social media
engagement and attention span, underscoring the necessity for more nuanced and platform-specific
research in this domain.
Dikshit, Rishi & Kiran, UV. (2023). “Social Media and Working Memory - A Review.” This review paper
investigates the effects of social media use on working memory, working on 10 research papers with
online survey and participants from different fields. It examines the prevalence of social media, its
emotional impact, and its possible influence on cognitive processes. The findings suggest that heavy
engagement with social media may significantly impair working memory. To address these potential
negative outcomes, the paper proposes interventions such as cognitive training, mindfulness
techniques, and digital detox strategies, while also emphasise the importance of continued
interdisciplinary research in this field.
Korte, M. (2020). “The effects of digital media use on the brain: What do we know so far?” This study
shows in US 95% of the young generation (16-24 yrs) frequent use smartphone with the average
interval of 12 minutes. Digital media and multitasking have been linked to greater distractibility and a
reduced ability to filter out irrelevant information. Research shows that individuals who often engage
in media multitasking are more easily distracted and tend to perform poorly on tasks that require
switching attention. Additionally, media multitasking has been connected to higher activity levels in
the prefrontal cortex, suggesting that more mental effort is needed to stay focused. Over time, these
patterns can have a negative effect on academic as well as daily task performance.
Das, A., & Mishra, H. (2024). “The Effect of Reels on Attention among Young and Middle-Aged
Adults.” Study reveals surge in popularity of short-form video content on platforms like Instagram
and TikTok has noticeably affected young adult’s ability to sustain attention. A study published in
2023 used mixed method approach (both quantitative and qualitative) shows Regular engagement
with these videos is linked to shorter attention spans, greater difficulty maintaining focus, and an
increased mental workload. A growing number of studies also connect frequent short-form video
consumption with struggles in comprehending complex material and declines in academic
achievement.
Bulut, D. (2023). “The Association between Attention Impairments and the Internet and Social Media
Usage among Adolescents and Young Adults with Potential Consequences”. This study focuses on
digital media, especially social media platforms, has been shown to have a significant effect on the
attention spans of young adults. Many of these platforms are intentionally designed to capture and
maintain user attention through features like infinite scrolling and algorithm-driven content. Shortform video apps such as TikTok are particularly engaging and may condition users to prefer shorter
content, often making longer videos feel overwhelming or stressful. By directly stimulating the brain’s
reward system and triggering dopamine release, social media can foster addictive behaviors, which
further disrupt the ability to maintain focused attention.
Best P., Manktelow R., & Taylor, B. (2014). “Online communication, social media and adolescent
wellbeing: A systematic narrative review.” This review searched 43 original research papers with
different types of research approaches to investigates the complex relationship between adolescents'
use of online communication and social media and their overall well-being. It considers both the
positive aspects—such as strengthened social ties and improved access to support networks—and
the potential risks, including experiences of cyberbullying, exposure to harmful material, and
negative effects on self-esteem and mental health. The review emphasizes the importance of
developing a more nuanced perspective on how various types of online interactions influence
adolescent development and well-being.
Small, G. W. (2020). “Potential harmful effects of digital technology use.” This article examines a
range of potential negative outcomes associated with excessive screen time and technology use,
such as increased symptoms of attention deficit, reduced emotional and social intelligence,
technology-related addiction, social withdrawal, and sleep disturbances. In an observational study on
197 students (17-23 yrs.) who were asked to recognize facial expressions after playing different
games. It was noticed that participant who played violent games shows delay in recognition of happy
faces. Although it briefly addresses the role of cognitive training and the possibility that video games
may enhance specific cognitive skills, the primary emphasis is on the adverse effects of heavy digital
media use on different areas of development and overall well-being.
Dikshit, Rishi & Kiran, UV. (2023). “Social Media and Working Memory - A Review.” This review paper
investigates the effects of social media use on working memory, working on 10 research papers with
online survey and participants from different fields. It examines the prevalence of social media, its
emotional impact, and its possible influence on cognitive processes. The findings suggest that heavy
engagement with social media may significantly impair working memory. To address these potential
negative outcomes, the paper proposes interventions such as cognitive training, mindfulness
techniques, and digital detox strategies, while also emphasise the importance of continued
interdisciplinary research in this field.
Cheng, Li & Fang, Gege & Zhang, Xiaoxue & Lv, Yuxiang & Liu, Lingxuan. (2022). “Impact of social
media use on critical thinking ability of university students.” This study investigates the relationship
between social media usage and critical thinking skills among university students. 300 students from
different universities participate in this study, standardized tools for measuring CTA were used. The
results reveal a significant positive correlation between general social media use and critical thinking
ability. However, they also highlight a strong negative correlation between social media dependence
and critical thinking, indicating that while moderate use may support the development of critical
thinking skills, excessive reliance on social media can be detrimental. The study underscores the
need for balanced social media engagement and recommends that media literacy education should
prioritize fostering this balance to strengthen students' critical thinking capacities.
Yousef, A. M. F., Alshamy, A., Tlili, A., & Metwally, A. H. S. (2025). “Demystifying the New Dilemma of
Brain Rot in the Digital Era: A Review” Researcher explores that excessive digital media exposure may
disrupt the mechanisms underlying memory consolidation and retrieval in young adults. (brain rot)
oxford word of the year 2024 refers to the decline in cognition & brain activity. 35 studies between
2023-24 shows more than 04 billion youngsters connected with internet spend 6.5 hr of online daily
and most of this time scrolling through low value content. Impairments in cognitive control, often
associated with internet addiction, appear to compromise essential memory functions. Moreover,
the constant stream of notifications and the rapid consumption of information limit the deep
processing required for effective long-term retention. These findings are further corroborated by
evidence linking internet addiction to deficiencies in working memory performance.
Gong Chen, Y. Yang (2024) “Google effects on memory: a meta-analytical review of the media effects
of intensive Internet search behavior.” This systematic reviewed study reveals the impact of frequent
Internet search behavior—often referred to as the "Google Effect"—on memory and cognition. The
meta-analysis, covering 35 studies involving 30,889 participants aged 12 to 89, explores how
dependency on search engines affects cognitive load, behavioral patterns, and cognitive self-esteem.
Studies suggests that individuals may develop a stronger memory for locating information online
rather than retaining the information itself., leading to reduced internal retention of information.
This phenomenon appears to be more prevalent when searches are conducted on mobile devices
and is particularly pronounced in young adults with extensive internet usage and still-developing
knowledge systems.