Is It Possible to Cure Brain Rot?

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Comfortably passing time with our handheld screens to browse social networks and watch short videos is a common practice, primarily because social networks facilitate this through applications like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, among others. Waiting in the supermarket line or at the doctor’s office, it is almost impossible to become bored due to the infinite number of audiovisual resources the Internet offers. However, is all that content substantial for our brains? The answer is no, which is why most popular social media posts are often classified as brain-rotting material.

‘Brain rot’ is a relatively recent concept that has resonated particularly with younger generations. It has been so widely used that the University of Oxford listed it as Word of the Year 2024. It refers to “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.” This definition may sound like an illness, but it has been described more as a phenomenon than a medical condition. Still, it can significantly impact our mental health. Much of this content consists of popular memes and current trends, for example, this cat meme, photoshopped images portraying a “perfect” life posted by influencers, fatalistic and sensationalist news, and bizarre videos such as this one, which features human heads popping out of toilets.

Nevertheless, brain rot is not a new concept. Henry David Thoreau used the term as far back as 1854 in his work Walden, where the author describes how society simplifies complex ideas to such a degree that they negatively affect people’s cognitive abilities. Today, this remains valid, especially given the oversaturation of information constantly bombarding us.

Many people and companies compete for our valuable attention, even if just for a few seconds, to be able to sell us products, services, and even ideas; one the best way to do it is through content created specifically for their audiences and, of course, as short, entertaining, and eye-catching as possible. Thus, brain rot content is an excellent way to achieve this by offering fun, relatable, and superficial multimedia. However, brain rot is not limited to media; it also refers to the vocabulary that new generations use to communicate with each other. Slang that doesn’t make sense for many, such as ski bidi, sigma, and rizz, to name a few, possess a different meaning than an official dictionary can describe. However, some of these words have been recognized by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary due to their widespread use in everyday life.

The use of this slang, as well as brain rot content that many consume, can be an indicator of being a chronically online person, a frequently used reference by Internet users to describe people who spend a lot of time online and are aware of the latest memes and trends in social media communities. Nevertheless, this type of entertainment is not exclusive to chronically online people. Although often attributed to the most recent generations, anyone can become a victim of brain rot because attractive and pleasant content triggers positive emotions at the moment, making it easy to succumb to it passively and get carried away by what we view. For many people, it’s a type of escapism.

“The expression ‘brain rot’ is like a confession by social media users, where they indicate the intellectual discomfort that has caused them to be disproportionately exposed to poor quality, empty, or intentionally absurd content, which has led them to recognize that their brain is beginning to function incorrectly.” – Rubén Vázquez, Forbes 2024. Now, brain rot together with bad technological habits such as binge-watching short videos, endless scrolling on social networks with no objective, and the consumption of harmful content (also called doom scrolling), while multitasking all this while performing other actions, overstimulates our brains, with various consequences such as:

The effects of brain rot

Inefficient decision-making and organization (see a study here).
Procrastination.
Decreased critical thinking, concentration, attention, and memory retention.
Sleep problems due to spending large amounts of time in front of a screen.
Social isolation and low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, especially when users compare their lives to others.
Mental fatigue due to the large amount of information consumed.
Addiction to social networks. Constantly seeking satisfaction from consuming entertaining content can create an addiction.

This phenomenon is not medically classified, but its effects harm our mental and emotional well-being. The good news is that it is possible to address this behavior, and the first step is to be aware of what we consume on social media.

Some tips for mitigating brain rot

It can be said that brain rot has a “cure.” We must prioritize our mental and emotional health over the algorithmically curated posts, trends, and fashions presented by social networks and other media. Additionally, it is also necessary for us to take specific actions to reduce the amount of brain rot that we see daily. Here are some recommendations to minimize engagement with this type of content:

How to defeat brain rot

Carefully review the content you follow on social media. Reflect on what the accounts you follow upload, how they make you feel, and what they offer your well-being. Unfollow the users who evoke negative feelings and choose what interests you and contributes positively to your life.
Monitor your screen time. Nowadays, many smartphones have integrated applications such as Digital Wellbeing, which is available on the Android operating system. It helps users count and manage their hours on screen. Checking the time we spend on our smartphones can yield surprising results; these types of applications can encourage many to consider ways to reduce screen time.
Create an action plan. Leverage technologies to your advantage. Many applications can help set limits on pages where we spend too much time, allowing us to be more productive and organized. Likewise, some methodologies also help reduce the use of screens, such as the Pomodoro technique or the ALPEN method.
Perform activities that do not involve technological devices. Practice small mindfulness sessions that anchor you to the present moment. Take a walk in the park, read a physical book, have breakfast without looking at a screen, or write in a journal. These practices can give you a proper break from your technological devices, offering mental clarity, reflection, and relaxation moments.
Socialize. It is essential to prioritize human over digital contact. Of course, current technologies have contributed significantly to connecting us with anyone worldwide. Still, genuine interactions between people are vital to keeping oneself grounded, fostering a sense of belonging, and creating meaningful moments and memories with family and friends.
Prepare yourself mentally. Another way to become aware of your device usage is to set a goal when checking your phone, such as responding to a specific message, searching for a recipe on YouTube, or finding photos of the menu from a restaurant you plan to visit soon on Instagram. Of course, you can also have the objective of entertaining yourself but try to limit it to a determined duration.

Likewise, be more present in your environment and try not to look at your cell phone excessively while waiting in a restaurant or walking somewhere. You may be surprised that when you are aware of your surroundings, you may notice something that catches your attention or come up with new ideas.

More than alarming, a call to action

Brain rot is not something that should scandalize or stigmatize us. Instead, we must be aware of this phenomenon to take responsibility for what we consume through social networks and the Internet and not get carried away by the algorithms imposed on us. “With online content, we’re in uncharted territory. Content is now so curated to keep you engaged, which means we don’t all have access to the same information, and we’re not all watching the same stuff on TV. The algorithm is choosing what we see. We’re all seeing different versions of adverts and different things in our news feeds.”– Lachlan Gilbert, University of New South Wales.

It is interesting to note that in Plato’s play Phaedrus, a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus, Socrates rejects and is concerned about writing and reading. The philosopher stated that such communicative processes would damage people’s retention and memory and decrease storytelling skills. This pessimism about communicative innovations has persisted throughout history regarding various inventions such as the press, radio, television, and, more recently, the Internet, artificial intelligence, and smartphones. Therefore, this fear of emerging technologies is expected, especially when they are brand new and powerful tools, and the full scope and impact they can have on each individual’s life is unknown. New technologies will continue to emerge, disrupting our daily lives and changing the status quo as a permanent trend. We must welcome these innovations with open arms and capitalize on their benefits.

Not everything is negative. We cannot consume intellectual content all the time. Leisure time is essential in our lives; we should take time to relax after a tiring day at work or school. The challenge is not to get carried away by what the algorithm shows us. We must consider how long we spend consuming brain rot media, which increases our screen hours, promotes procrastination, and weakens cognitive abilities over time. Moreover, digital education for children and young people on these topics within their academic institutions is crucial to raising awareness of the content they are exposed to and reinforcing critical thinking skills and media literacy.

We must be aware of what we consume excessively and reflect on its impact on our minds, focusing on supervision and balance rather than prohibition. Technology brings many benefits to human beings, but it also has harmful effects, about which we must be very conscious. Let’s use these digital tools and not let them use us!

Translation by: Daniel Wetta