Mindless scrolling on social media can damage your memory, says doctor

Endless scrolling on social media, especially when you’re caught up in a cycle of negative news, can do more than just affect your mood. According to Dr. Bing, a neurologist who shares insights on brain health with his followers, it can actually damage your memory. In a post on February 23, Dr. Bing explains how the habit of "doomscrolling" impacts your brain and memory.

Dr. Bing starts by asking if you‍‍`ve ever noticed that your memory seems to suffer after spending hours scrolling through social media. He reassures viewers that this is not just in your head—there is real science behind it. Research has shown that those who frequently multitask with digital media tend to experience a decrease in sustained attention and working memory. Social media constantly bombards your brain with quick, changing information, which encourages a craving for instant gratification, rather than fostering deep concentration. When you‍‍`re jumping between posts, videos, and notifications, your brain struggles to engage fully with any single thing, preventing it from properly storing that information in your memory. Dr. Bing compares the brain to a chalkboard—when you focus deeply on something, it‍‍`s like writing clearly on the board.

However, when you scroll excessively, it‍‍`s as if you‍‍`re constantly erasing and rewriting on the board before anything can stick. This is why you might find it difficult to recall what you just read or feel mentally foggy afterward.

Dr. Bing also highlights research showing that heavy social media use is linked to structural changes in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for attention and decision-making. This suggests that prolonged scrolling could physically alter your brain‍‍`s ability to focus and retain information over time.

To counteract this, Dr. Bing recommends giving your brain the time it needs to absorb information. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, try reading something longer, summarizing what you learned, or simply taking breaks to allow your brain to reset.