DECODING THE POPCORN BRAIN
The effect on our mental state from excessive use of top social media and multitasking is leading to a syndrome that impacts our well-being
By : Bindu Gopal Rao
Update: 2024-06-03 18:40 GMT
Are you the kind of person who is inclined to bounce quickly between assignments in a scrambled and scattered manner, feeling that you are not able to do justice? If you answered in the affirmative, it could just be the popcorn brain.
The Concept
The ‘popcorn brain’ concept refers to how continual digital stimulation and multitasking affect our capacity to focus and maintain attention. It shows that our brains are acclimatised to rapidly switch between many streams of information and stimuli, much like how popcorn kernels constantly pop in different directions. “This continual task-switching and bombardment of digital inputs can result in fragmented attention spans, trouble focusing on single tasks for long periods of time, and a desire for constant novelty and dopamine spikes from new information or notifications. The popcorn brain analogy emphasises the potential for digital habits to remodel our neurological connections, making it increasingly difficult to maintain deep, focused attention in our ever-changing digital environment,” says Dr Chandni Tugnait, psychotherapist, life coach, business coach, NLP expert, healer, founder & director — Gateway of Healing. Essentially, the popcorn brain notion represents the scattered, easily distracted state of mind that can be caused by our current digital lifestyles and the constant demands on our attention from numerous screens and devices.
Watch Out
Symptoms of popcorn brain include difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, feeling overwhelmed by tasks, and experiencing higher levels of stress or anxiety. These symptoms can significantly impact our daily lives and productivity. Mansi Poddar, trauma-informed psychotherapist, says, “individuals experiencing this cognitive phenomenon may notice increased forgetfulness, a racing mind, daydreaming, flights of thoughts, jumping from topic to topic, and feelings of mental clutter and chaos. These symptoms can negatively impact productivity and overall mental well-being.” People are not able to ‘sit with’ others and their emotions due to a lack of presence and ability to focus. Conversations can jump from topic to topic, causing people to feel unheard and isolated.
Social Media Abuse
Intemperate use of social media contributes to popcorn brain by constantly assaulting the brain with unused data, notices, and diversions. There are increasing instances of people experiencing anxiety attacks and becoming uncontrollably anxious at the pinging notifications on our phones. “All of us know at least one individual in our circle who cannot control the urge to check that notification irrespective of the conversation you are having. This habit leads to divided consideration and failure to centre on one task for an extended period. Moreover, the consistent glancing at the phone where part of your brain and concentration is always engaged, clicking, and exchanging between apps or tabs on social media stages disturbs cognitive processes, making it challenging for the brain to preserve a line of thought,” says Sahiba Rattan Sethi, counselling psychologist, Ummeed Healing.
Brain Impact
The effects of this syndrome on the brain include decreased attention span, decreased ability to concentrate, increased stress and anxiety levels, and impaired cognitive function due to constant switching between tasks. Additionally, excessive social media use can lead to dopamine dysregulation, contributing to addictive behaviour and exacerbating negative effects on mental health and cognitive function. Archana Singhal, founder, Mindwell Counsel, counsellor, and family therapist explains, “the impact on the brain can be significant. It can result in a shorter attention span, difficulty concentrating, and trouble remembering things. Additionally, it can increase feelings of stress and overwhelm because our brains are constantly busy and scattered.”
Take Care
Addressing ‘Popcorn Brain’ involves adopting lifestyle changes to promote cognitive health. It is important to rule out other psychiatric diagnoses. This is more around lack of focus mentally. The impact is seen on relationships/body. “The system gets exhausted from being in a hyper state constantly. The key here is to work on developing attention and focus. Mindful movement is a good way to get back in the body and avoid the heavy emphasis on mind work. Slow forms like Pilates/ yin yoga/ tai chi and qi gong offer benefits like slowing down which is the main challenge in coping with popcorn brain. That is truly the new currency for success,” concludes Poddar.
Watch Out
Symptoms of popcorn brain include difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, feeling overwhelmed by tasks, and experiencing higher levels of stress or anxiety. These symptoms can significantly impact our daily lives and productivity. Mansi Poddar, trauma-informed psychotherapist, says, “individuals experiencing this cognitive phenomenon may notice increased forgetfulness, a racing mind, daydreaming, flights of thoughts, jumping from topic to topic, and feelings of mental clutter and chaos. These symptoms can negatively impact productivity and overall mental well-being.” People are not able to ‘sit with’ others and their emotions due to a lack of presence and ability to focus. Conversations can jump from topic to topic, causing people to feel unheard and isolated.
Social Media Abuse
Intemperate use of social media contributes to popcorn brain by constantly assaulting the brain with unused data, notices, and diversions. There are increasing instances of people experiencing anxiety attacks and becoming uncontrollably anxious at the pinging notifications on our phones. “All of us know at least one individual in our circle who cannot control the urge to check that notification irrespective of the conversation you are having. This habit leads to divided consideration and failure to centre on one task for an extended period. Moreover, the consistent glancing at the phone where part of your brain and concentration is always engaged, clicking, and exchanging between apps or tabs on social media stages disturbs cognitive processes, making it challenging for the brain to preserve a line of thought,” says Sahiba Rattan Sethi, counselling psychologist, Ummeed Healing.
Brain Impact
The effects of this syndrome on the brain include decreased attention span, decreased ability to concentrate, increased stress and anxiety levels, and impaired cognitive function due to constant switching between tasks. Additionally, excessive social media use can lead to dopamine dysregulation, contributing to addictive behaviour and exacerbating negative effects on mental health and cognitive function. Archana Singhal, founder, Mindwell Counsel, counsellor, and family therapist explains, “the impact on the brain can be significant. It can result in a shorter attention span, difficulty concentrating, and trouble remembering things. Additionally, it can increase feelings of stress and overwhelm because our brains are constantly busy and scattered.”
Take Care
Addressing ‘Popcorn Brain’ involves adopting lifestyle changes to promote cognitive health. It is important to rule out other psychiatric diagnoses. This is more around lack of focus mentally. The impact is seen on relationships/body. “The system gets exhausted from being in a hyper state constantly. The key here is to work on developing attention and focus. Mindful movement is a good way to get back in the body and avoid the heavy emphasis on mind work. Slow forms like Pilates/ yin yoga/ tai chi and qi gong offer benefits like slowing down which is the main challenge in coping with popcorn brain. That is truly the new currency for success,” concludes Poddar.