What is Brain Rot
Brain rot is a newly created term that many Gen-Zs have been saying. It is a new development that has taken over society and will continue to do so in the future. The official definition of Brain rot is; “The degradation of mental faculties, intelligence, common sense, or moral character”. However, when people today use the term, they generally define it as speaking while referencing “memes” or any pop-culture moments, which are too much in the physical world rather than online. The term Brain rot comes from the idea of the internet rotting brains after doom-scrolling, resulting in people being “chronically online.” Today, it is very common for people mid-conversation to say things trending on TikTok, saying things such as “No Chick-fil-A sauce” which recently became viral sound from a TikTok creator or “That’s not..” which is also a viral sound from a past interview, These are all trending sounds/videos all over social media that many people have been referencing. When someone says these or any other viral phrases while conversing, one may say you have brain rot.
What Are the Causes of Brain Rot?
How does brain rot occur? And how can you be sure you have it? Brain rot is mainly caused by excessive technology use. When you scroll on your phone, even for hours or 5 minutes, your brain tries to retain all the information you watch. Additionally, if you’re watching a YouTube video while texting and then scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, your brain is being overstimulated and you are indulging yourself with too much information your brain can handle. This can heavily cause Brain rot. Scrolling and excessive online use can be behavioral addictions, and one could tell if they have Brain rot when they feel the need to reach for their phone throughout the day and reference memes and slang terms that aren’t typically used offline.
How is it affecting Society?
As people are learning this new term, more and more people are realizing that they may have brain rot. Ironically, people are sharing online how it’s affecting them and the world around them. For example, a creator on TikTok shared a video stating how people in his college are having trouble having intellectual conversations without referencing viral TikTok audios. Although this is just one person’s experience, Brain rot occurs more frequently worldwide. This could affect how we communicate with one another and interact with people for the next few generations—making it harder for people to form connections or simply have stimulating conversations due to brain rot. Additionally, brain rot can deeply affect mental and emotional well-being; one study from the National Library of Medicine that was conducted showed that doom-scrolling can lead to higher levels of psychological distress as well as lower levels of mental well-being.
How to prevent Brain Rot?
Although it may be difficult at first, there are many ways to prevent brain rot, such as managing your media consumption, which can improve mental and emotional health. You can help manage your screen consumption by setting screen times on your phone in settings that can help limit the hours you spend on your phone. You can also pursue non-digital interests. You can do many things online, but there are also hobbies and activities you could immerse yourself in physically, like playing an instrument, exercising, and much more. Additionally, completely unplugging yourself from screens through a digital detox could do wonders for your well-being. Lastly, you can reach out to friends and family and get support to limit your screen time. Although Brain rot may not seem too serious now, it’s always better to be safe and protect your physical and mental health by managing your screen time.
