Hooked to doomscrolling? Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar shares how it affects your memory, focus and cognitive function

Scrolling through short-form content can be addictive – before you know it, you have spent hours on a doomscroll spiral. Dr Kumar shares it impacts your brain.

You open Instagram for "just five minutes" and, before you know it, an hour has disappeared in a blur of endless reels. Short-form videos are designed to keep you hooked, making doomscrolling an easy habit to slip into. But beyond eating away at your time and increasing your screen exposure, this constant stream of bite-sized content may also be affecting the way your brain functions.

Dr Sudhir Kumar, neurologist and head of the Department of Neurology at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, is breaking down how excessive scrolling through short-form videos can affect brain health, attention span and overall cognitive function. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on July 31, the neurologist states, “How does frequent, long-term scrolling through short-form videos actually affect the human brain? Let us look at what recent cognitive and psychological research reveals about attention, memory, and mood (without the doom-mongering).”

Attention and focus

If you've found it increasingly difficult to sit through a book or concentrate on a single task for long, your scrolling habits could be playing a role. Dr Kumar highlights that excessive consumption of short-form videos may chip away at your attention span over time.

The neurologist explains, “Fast-paced videos train the brain to anticipate constant change. With frequent viewing, sustained attention (focusing on one thing for an extended period without switching) declines, making deep work or long reading sessions feel tedious.”

Memory and processing

Dr Kumar notes that excessive doomscrolling may overwhelm the brain's information-processing systems, making it more difficult to think clearly. So if you've ever felt mentally exhausted after an extended scrolling session, this could be a reason.

“Short videos flood the brain with rapid, disconnected context shifts. This places a heavy load on working memory, the mental workbench used to process and retain information, leading to mental fog or ‘digital fatigue’ after scrolling,” points out the neurologist.

Mood and reward pathways

According to the neurologist, the addictive nature of endless scrolling isn't accidental. The constant stream of fresh content can gradually reshape how the brain responds to rewards, encouraging a greater craving for novelty and stimulation.

He points out, “Each swipe provides an unpredictable micro-reward, triggering dopamine releases similar to a slot machine. Long-term, this raises our threshold for stimulation, making normal, everyday activities feel less engaging or quiet moments feel uneasy.”

The brain adapts

Dr Kumar highlights that the good news is the brain is remarkably adaptable. It has the ability to change, grow and reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, allowing it to gradually recover from unhealthy patterns and develop healthier ones.

He notes, “Neuroplasticity works both ways. The brain is not permanently altered; it simply adapts to habits. Incorporating single-tasking, reading long-form content, or tech-free breaks helps rebuild focus and mental clarity over time.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Sudhir Kumar is a neurologist based in Hyderabad, Telangana. He holds an MBBS, an MD in Internal Medicine, and a DM in Neurology, and regularly shares evidence-based insights on neurological health, fitness and disease prevention through his social media platforms.