United Kingdom, Nov. 25 -- Excessive use of TikTok and Instagram damages brain performance.

A study of over 98,000 participants across 71 pieces of research found that an individual's cognitive performance is harmed if they watch more short-form content that is common on the social media platforms.

Boffins found that "repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitised to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning".

In summary, researchers say it can cause brain rot.

The study concluded that short-form video use was "associated with poorer cognition (attention, inhibitory control, language, memory and working memory...