Is Your Brain Actually Rotting, or Just Regulating?

from ADHD Realities · host Dr. Leann Borneman

What if your “rotting brain” isn’t rotting at all — it’s regulating? In this fiery, science meets sarcasm episode, Dr. Leann Borneman breaks down the viral panic around rot culture and doomscrolling — and explains why most of the research behind it was never designed for ADHD brains in the first place. We’ll talk about: Why scrolling funny, happy, or comfort content isn’t “doomscrolling” (and why everyone’s using that term wrong) How weak neurotypical studies turned into moral panic headlines about “screen addiction” The ADHD paradox of being overstimulated and bored at the same damn time Why shame — not screens — is what’s frying our nervous systems And how to figure out whether your scrolling is regulation or avoidance With humor, science, and a few well-placed f-bombs, Dr. Borneman flips the conversation on overstimulation and teaches you how to decode your own dopamine, not demonize it. 💥 Maybe the problem isn’t screens — maybe it’s our refusal to see nuance. 🎧 Listen now. Resources: Executive Function 101 Ebook References: Fabio, R. A., & Suriano, R. (2024). The Role of Smartphone Use in Sensory Processing: Differences Between Adolescents with ADHD and Typical Development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(12), 1705. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121705 Ferreira, Julia & Silva, Roberta & Hamuche, Carolina & Nascimento, Rafael & Ribeiro, Ana & Gil, Saulo & Melo Neves, Lucas. (2025). Positive ADHD Scores are Associated With Higher Screen Time and Anxiety Symptoms in Medical Students: Cross-sectional Study. Actas espanolas de psiquiatria. 53. 494-503. 10.62641/aep.v53i3.1892. Meng Z, Ao B, Wang W, Niu T, Chen Y, Ma X, Huang Y. Relationships between screen time and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 23;15:1441191. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1441191. PMID: 39376970; PMCID: PMC11457377. Przybylski AK, Weinstein N. Digital Screen Time Limits and Young Children's Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From a Population-Based Study. Child Dev. 2019 Jan;90(1):e56-e65. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13007. Epub 2017 Dec 13. PMID: 29235663. Shabahang, Reza & Hwang, Hyeyeon & Thomas, Emma & Aruguete, Mara & McCutcheon, Lynn & Gábor, Orosz & Hossienkhanzadeh, Abbas Ali & Mokhtari Chirani, Benyamin & Zsila, Ágnes. (2024). Doomscrolling Evokes Existential Anxiety and Fosters Pessimism about Human Nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 15. 100438. 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100438.

What this episode covers

What if your “rotting brain” isn’t rotting at all — it’s regulating? In this fiery, science meets sarcasm episode, Dr. Leann Borneman breaks down the viral panic around rot culture and doomscrolling — and explains why most of the research behind it was never designed for ADHD brains in the first place. We’ll talk about: Why scrolling funny, happy, or comfort content isn’t “doomscrolling” (and why everyone’s using that term wrong) How weak neurotypical studies turned into moral panic headlines about “screen addiction” The ADHD paradox of being overstimulated and bored at the same damn time Why shame — not screens — is what’s frying our nervous systems And how to figure out whether your scrolling is regulation or avoidance With humor, science, and a few well-placed f-bombs, Dr. Borneman flips the conversation on overstimulation and teaches you how to decode your own dopamine, not demonize it. 💥 Maybe the problem isn’t screens — maybe it’s our refusal to see nuance. 🎧 Listen now. Resources: Executive Function 101 Ebook References: Fabio, R. A., & Suriano, R. (2024). The Role of Smartphone Use in Sensory Processing: Differences Between Adolescents with ADHD and Typical Development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(12), 1705. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121705 Ferreira, Julia & Silva, Roberta & Hamuche, Carolina & Nascimento, Rafael & Ribeiro, Ana & Gil, Saulo & Melo Neves, Lucas. (2025). Positive ADHD Scores are Associated With Higher Screen Time and Anxiety Symptoms in Medical Students: Cross-sectional Study. Actas espanolas de psiquiatria. 53. 494-503. 10.62641/aep.v53i3.1892. Meng Z, Ao B, Wang W, Niu T, Chen Y, Ma X, Huang Y. Relationships between screen time and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 23;15:1441191. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1441191. PMID: 39376970; PMCID: PMC11457377. Przybylski AK, Weinstein N. Digital Screen Time Limits and Young Children’s Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From a Population-Based Study. Child Dev. 2019 Jan;90(1):e56-e65. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13007. Epub 2017 Dec 13. PMID: 29235663. Shabahang, Reza & Hwang, Hyeyeon & Thomas, Emma & Aruguete, Mara & McCutcheon, Lynn & Gábor, Orosz & Hossienkhanzadeh, Abbas Ali & Mokhtari Chirani, Benyamin & Zsila, Ágnes. (2024). Doomscrolling Evokes Existential Anxiety and Fosters Pessimism about Human Nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States. Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 15. 100438. 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100438.