It starts quietly. You check WhatsApp, swipe through Instagram, jump to YouTube, reply to email, then do it all again.
When you finally put the phone down, the brain still hums, ready for its next fix. You can’t seem to settle. Silence feels itchy. Your mind wants another notification.
The slightest noise from your phone makes you go through the motions again. Sometimes you do it on autopilot without realising when and how you are suddenly scrolling through Instagram once again.
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The restless mental fizz when you are waiting for the next digital ‘hit’ is what many now call “popcorn brain.”
It’s not a medical diagnosis, but a way to describe a brain so used to fast, constant digital stimulation that slower, real-world life feels dull.
WHERE THE TERM CAME FROM
The phrase surfaced around 2011, discussed by University of Washington researchers exploring how he
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