UNAIR NEWS Social media has evolved into a powerful information platform, significantly shaping human lifestyles. In todays fast-paced digital landscape, the desire for constant updates and personal visibility has become increasingly vital. However, beyond meeting basic needs, the current patterns of social media usage carry numerous implicationsone of which is the growing concern over brain rot. This term has gained popularity as a way to describe the cognitive toll of excessive screen time. Professor Dr. Nurul Hartini, SPsi, MKes, a clinical psychologist and expert in mental health at (UNAIR), shed light on how this phenomenon relates to mental well-being.
Unhealthy social media habits
According to Prof. Hartini, problematic usage patterns emerge when social media begins to interfere with an individuals productivity. It becomes an issue when it starts diminishing one’s ability to engage in meaningful activities and instead promotes counterproductive behavior, she explained.
She went on to emphasize that every individual has unique responsibilities within society, and social media can either enhance or hinder productivity. If a person consistently engages with content that distracts rather than enriches, its a sign that their usage patterns need reassessment.
In addition to reduced productivity, Prof. Hartini highlighted the potential for negative behavioral outcomes resulting from prolonged social media use. This is especially concerning when it leads to cognitive and emotional issueswhat we often refer to as the fear of missing out, she noted.
Promoting healthy social media habits
Most content shared on social media is light and superficial. When consumed in excesswithout being balanced by more substantial sources of knowledgeit can contribute to cognitive decline. The quality of information we consume directly influences the functioning of our nervous system.
What we typically see on social media lacks depth. Its vastly different from reading a book, academic journal, or formal literature, which provides more comprehensive and meaningful insights, Prof. Hartini added.
She emphasized the need for digital boundaries across all age groups. For children, schools and families should play a key role in fostering healthy media habits. As individuals mature, however, the responsibility for managing screen time should be internalized. For adults, self-regulation must come from within, she concluded.
Author: Afifah Alfina
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
