Boosting our brains to prevent brain "rot"
Do you find yourself sitting too long at your computer, feeling eye strain and maybe a stiff neck?
Too much screen time can impact our health in many ways, not only eye strain and neck pain but we might disconnect from people around us which can lead to social isolation, and in some cases, it may even cause harm to our brains. The danger of consuming too much online media is that you can’t see what’s happening in your brain as you’re staring at the screen.
"Brain rot" is the Oxford word of the year for 2024, and it's pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media.
Excerpt from 9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024 (*)
Participation question:
How has your consumption of online media changed in the last few years?
How do you limit your screen time?
Helpful Videos:
What Staring At A Screen All Day Is Doing To Your Brain And Body | The Human Body
Helpful Resources:
* 9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024
What Excessive Screen Time Does to the Adult Brain
Seeking Help
Mental stress can cause us not to be able to see the good things in life and lead to excessive rumination or worries which can result in serious health problems. If you have serious, long-term problems with negative thinking and feeling depressed, see your doctor or talk to a therapist if they are related to any mental challenges.
Are you looking for a therapist? 7 Cups has online, certified therapists with a paid option. For more information on what happens in online therapy at 7 Cups, Read Lisa’s (a therapist and director of therapy) explanation
https://www.7cups.com/forum/therapy/General_2432/WeveLaunchedTalkTherapyon7Cups_319430/
To apply for 7 Cups online therapy, click on this link (must be logged into member account) https://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1
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@amiablePeace77 I only learnt how to use the internet a few years ago, so it's had a big impact on my life. But I try to do as much as I can off the computer when I'm well enough to be doing things. But I am on here everyday🤔 but not for hours and hours🤔🤔 I don't know😕 I don't want my brain to rot😨
@Tinywhisper11
You seem to set yourself limits for how much time you spend on the internet and that's a healthy way of using it and prevents brain rot! 👍
@amiablePeace77
How has your consumption of online media changed in the last few years?
How do you limit your screen time?
The last decades for me.
I have a love-hate relationship with my devices. Anything I need to do seems to be online and I am often scared to look at my emails - too long a list and way more than decades earlier when my actual mailbox had a lot less even with catalogs and advertising. Dealing with admin online is not just about filling forms and clicking, but sometimes requires you to learn or re-learn how to use the system. It just takes longer than it used to, it seems, and it makes me anxious.
Social media was a great way to keep in touch until there was too much advertisement. I was also rather stunned to realize that some of my good friends were into conspiracy stuff or published/forwarded terrible hearsay without checking its veracity... or even spelling! Every year, I clean up the "friends" list in order to keep it to a manageable 200 or so.
However, I appreciate being able to get the news from anywhere, listen to podcasts, be in touch with anyone for free with or without screen time (it used to be SO expensive to make international calls!), stream movies, and generally look at the internet as this never-ending education and learning apparatus and library. Of course, I use it also to volunteer as a listener on 7cups.
I do not feel the need to limit my screen time, unless I fall in a rabbit hole of short videos when I should be going to bed or need more time to get to the end of some sudoku.
@Fradiga
Internet can be a "blessing" and a "curse". At the end it is up to us what it will be, but it sounds like you feel okay about the time you spend on it.
I can relate to needing more time to learn or re-learn things on the net which one needs to be able to work well. It can be frustrating and also cause feelings of anxiety at times. Something that helps me is to take a break and continue another time. I feel a stressed brain is not good at learning new stuff and I tell myself too "You're not a spring chicken anymore so take your time"! 😀
@amiablePeace77
How has your consumption of online media changed in the last few years?
If by online media you mean social media, then in all honesty, it’s never changed as I’ve never had any social media accounts unless this one is counted though I categorize this as an online community, not online or social media.
How do you limit your screen time?
Once I gained knowledge about screen time and how bad it can be for your health, I listen to music or podcasts especially beneficial and helpful podcasts more than spending my time watching media on my screen.
In fact the only time I currently watch anything nowadays is when I’m eating either lunch or dinner. By that I mean that I only watch something with one of those meals, not both while sometimes I don’t watch anything with any of my meals.
