360: Is Doomscrolling Rewiring Our Brains — and What Does That Mean for Dementia Care?
From Dementia Care Partner Podcast with Teepa Snow by Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care
June 12, 2026 · 7 min · Season 9 · Episode 360
About this episode
Teepa Snow and Greg Phelps discuss the impact of doomscrolling on brain health and its implications for dementia care.
Is brain rot caused by screen time just a Gen Z problem — or does it affect everyone supporting those living with dementia? The term brain rot was coined by Henry David Thoreau in 1854 to describe the preference for simple ideas over complex ones. Today, endless scrolling and passive screen time have made it a modern epidemic — and it has real implications for dementia care. In this episode, Teepa Snow and Greg Phelps explore the difference between passive observation and active engagement, why that distinction matters for people living with brain change, and how care partners can use conversation, curiosity, and connection to stimulate meaningful interaction. You'll learn: Why passive TV watching and internet scrolling look similar in the brain — and why that matters How active conversation creates cognitive demand that passive media simply can't What care partners can do differently to encourage real engagement How Positive Approach to Care® courses and video resources can help you build true engagement skills Whether you're supporting at home or in a facility, the tools you use to connect make a difference. This episode will change how you think about screen time — for your…
People in this episode
Host: Teepa Snow
Guest: Greg Phelps
Topics covered
- doomscrolling
- dementia care
- active engagement
- passive observation
- screen time
- cognitive demand
Keywords
- doomscrolling
- dementia
- screen time
- active engagement
- cognitive demand
- care partners
- Positive Approach to Care
More episodes of Dementia Care Partner Podcast with Teepa Snow
- 359: Does Supporting Someone Living with Dementia Shorten your Life Span? · June 5, 2026 · 7 min
- 358: Rethinking Brain Change with Neuroplasticity in Mind · May 29, 2026 · 6 min
- 357: Three Hearing Aids Later, They Still Won't Wear Them — Here's Why · May 22, 2026 · 6 min
- 356: Rethinking Environments for People Living with Dementia · May 15, 2026 · 8 min
- 355: When Being Right Makes Everything Wrong · May 8, 2026 · 7 min
- 354: When Being Right Isn't Worth It: Rethinking The Need to Correct · May 1, 2026 · 9 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Dementia Care Partner Podcast with Teepa Snow podcast page.