Professor Maxi Heitmayer talks with podcast host Frank Knapp about his research on how the young users of social media are aware of how they are being impacted.

He describes brain rot as a state of being fogged out, overwhelmed, exhausted and not fully in control of what one is doing; characteristics described by young social media users.

The professor found that the young social media users do not see themselves as victims but feel that there is nothing else to do because everyone is using social media. They are acutely aware of what is happening to them but believe that there is no other option and don’t know a way out.

Professor Heitmayer describes feedback from older social media users saying that they are spending so much time on their phones that they have less time available to “be present” or the people around them “ar ...