BRAIN DRAIN
Does it feel challenging to keep focus on one task? Do you feel a compulsive urge to constantly check your phone? Do your thoughts mimic the smartphone experience of switching from one app to the next, compulsively, and not out of need, but mostly mindlessly? Chances are, you've got a popcorn brain.
The reason: excessive digital stimulation, mostly caused by increased smartphone use, particularly social media, but also multi-tasking. “As a result, thoughts get fragmented, rendering the individual unable to pay attention to one subject, and thoughts jump from one thing to another like popcorn kernels popping in a pan,” explains Dr Jyoti Kapoor, founder-director and senior psychiatrist at Manasthali, a Gurugram-based organisation focusing on mental health.
Although the term was coined by researcher David M. Levy in 2011, Kapoor says it has recently gained traction due to growing concerns over constant digital stimulation happening due to the use of social media.
According to a 2023 study, just the presence of a phone nearby can bring down focus and cognitive performance when trying to finish a task. A concerning finding, especially because Indians spent a minimum of 4.9 hours a day on their smartphones in 2022, according to a report. And, a 2019 study in Nature Communications says the more content is produced, the more one consumes, and the more limited the attention span gets.
Social media impact
この記事は THE WEEK India の April 06, 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は THE WEEK India の April 06, 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
CHANGING CHARACTER
In Agra, the Yamuna takes on many avatars—historical, cultural, religious and political
Leader, fighter
Reem Al-Hashimy's book on Dubai Expo 2020 is as much a tale of leadership as it is a love letter to the UAE
Much ado about nothing
The attack against Mohanlal-starrer Empuraan has set a precedent. But was it justified?
Reverse sweep
AAP government led by Bhagwant Mann makes a U-turn on its strategy and messaging to safeguard its position
LET THE RIVER FLOW
Yamuna needs comprehensive cleansing of sewage and stronger water flow
UNDERSTANDING SCOLIOSIS: SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Scoliosis is a condition that causes a person's spine to curve sideways, forming an “S” or “C” shape, instead of being straight.
Croissant and Prashant
Blame it on the silly season.
QUEEN, MOTHER
In Mathura, the Yamuna becomes a goddess, revered as one of Lord Krishna's wives
WHEN THE DIVINE TURNS DARK YAMUNA
HOLY AND HISTORICAL, THE YAMUNA TODAY IS AS MUCH POLITICAL. ITS MURKY WATERS HAVE SUNK ONE PARTY'S ELECTORAL FORTUNES IN DELHI, WHEREAS THE PROMISE OF CLEANING IT UP IN THREE YEARS HAS PROPELLED ANOTHER TO POWER. BUT REVIVING A RIVER CHOKED UNDER URBAN PLIGHT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Karan Johar is so 'regular'
A year ago, at my son’s school graduation ceremony, Iwas thrilled to find a young boy in his grade come on stage wearing a ponytail, makeup, and finely threaded eyebrows.
