A.I. and Social Media Contribute to 'Brain Rot' (www.nytimes.com)

Several new studies and experiments are sharpening concerns that AI search/chatbots and short-form social media are contributing to what’s being called “brain rot” — reduced attention, poorer memory retention and weaker reading skills. A Wharton experiment with 250 participants found people using Google’s AI-generated summaries produced bland, generic lifestyle advice compared with those who did traditional web searches. An MIT lab study (54 college students) measuring brain electrical activity reported the lowest engagement among students who wrote with ChatGPT; 83% of those students couldn’t recall a single sentence from their essays one minute after finishing. At the population level, a JAMA paper using ABCD data (6,500+ youths aged 9–13) associated higher daily social‑media time (≥3 hours vs ~1 hour) with worse reading, memory and vocabulary scores, amid nationally falling NAEP reading results. Technically, researchers flag a shift from active to passive information processing: AI summaries and feed-based apps automate search and skimming, reducing effortful encoding and source evaluation that build understanding. Limitations remain (small samples, correlation vs causation), but implications are clear for educators and developers: design AI tools to scaffold active learning (prompt users to draft first, then revise with AI), preserve source links and encourage citation, and adopt behavioral interventions (screen‑free zones, time limits). Used intentionally — as revision assistants or targeted fact‑checkers rather than substitutes for initial study — AI can augment rather than erode learning.