A new term has emerged to describe the subtle yet pervasive impact of our digital habits: brain rot. Studies show that excessive use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube affects attention spans, critical thinking, and creativity and increases anxiety and depression among youth. In a world where memes rule supreme and endless scrolling has become the norm, Gen Z’s daily routine has become ingrained with hours of mindless scrolling, hopping from one bite-sized video to another.
“BRAIN ROT” – OXFORD’S WORD OF THE YEAR
“Brain rot” has been named the Oxford word of the year for 2024, after worries about constant social media scrolling and mind-numbing material. More than 37,000 people voted to choose the winner from a shortlist of six terms compiled by Oxford University Press, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary. Its yearly prize, which has previously gone to “rizz” and “climate emergency,” tries to capture the year’s emotions and trends.
Brain rot is a term that describes “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 to be trivial or unchallenging”. Oxford University Press stated that the phrase “gained new prominence in 2024 as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media”.
In other words, it refers to cognitive stagnation caused by a consistent diet of digital junk food, particularly from social media. The word, which has seen a 230% increase in usage in the last year, connected powerfully with the public in a referendum held by Oxford academics, solidifying its status as a cultural milestone and a grave warning for the times. Ironically, social media, where brain rot is most prevalent, has had a huge impact on the phrase’s popularity. Memes about “rotting brains,” funny TikTok performances mocking continuous scrolling, and even influencers discussing digital burnout have propelled the term into public discourse. This dichotomy reveals a more profound irony: although Gen Z may laugh about brain degeneration, many remain hooked by the platforms under scrutiny.
Despite its current popularity, its first reported use was in Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden” in 1854, when he attacked society’s inclination to disregard complex ideas in favour of simple ones. “While England endeavours to cure the potato rot,” declared Thoreau, “will not any endeavour to cure the brain rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?” All these years later, brain rot is well and truly established.
THE RISE OF DIGITAL DISTRACTION
A 2023 Pew Research Centre poll titled Teens, Social Media, and Technology gives insight into the amount of social media’s influence on teens. According to a study conducted between September 26 and October 23, social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram have become vital components of teenage life. YouTube emerges as the clear winner, with over 90% of kids accessing it and 16% expressing “almost constant” activity. TikTok is close behind, with 58% of adolescents using it everyday and 17% characterising it as relentless. Snapchat and Instagram also have substantial footholds, with over half of all teenagers using these networks every day. Surprisingly, Snapchat has a greater percentage of “almost constant” users (14%) than Instagram (8%).
This digital consumption style includes more than simply passive viewing. Many teenagers admit to an almost obsessive use of these sites. A stunning one-third of teenagers say they use at least one of these platforms virtually continuously throughout the day. This prevalent practice suggests a substantial shift in how teenagers spend their time and how social media influences their daily routines.
The gender difference in social media usage emphasises the difficulties of this development. Teen females are far more likely than boys to use platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat practically continuously, with 22% of girls reporting daily TikTok use vs just 12% of boys. Similarly, 17% of young girls use Snapchat practically daily, compared to 12% of their male counterparts. This distinction highlights the gendered manner in which youth interact with digital information, raising concerns about the particular pressures and diversions that girls confront on these platforms.
Despite widespread worries regarding the negative impacts of excessive social media use on juvenile well-being, these platforms continue to dominate teenagers’ lives. A 2024 research titled Double-Edged Sword: How Diverse Communities of Young People Think About the Multifaceted Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health gives a vivid picture of young people’s difficulties in regulating their internet activities. According to the research, over 24% of young people aged 14 to 22 say they use social media ‘very continuously’ during the day, which is somewhat higher than prior years. 59% of young people use social media on a daily basis, but not continually. The prevalence of social media use has become so widespread that many teenagers struggle to manage their time online, with 46% saying that their continual interaction has severely impacted their attention span.
Furthermore, the research emphasises a distressing sense of loss while juggling social media with other crucial areas of life. Around 47% of young people believe that social media diverts their attention away from things they enjoy, and many admit to spending more time on these platforms than they anticipated. Young adults aged 18 to 22 face an even greater challenge in controlling their social media use, with 53% expressing trouble managing their time, compared to 42% of teenagers.
THE QUAGMIRE OF BRAIN ROT
The effects of this digital distraction are far-reaching. Unfortunately, the rise in digital distraction is not a fad; it is contributing to brain rot, which is affecting their academic and personal development and impairing their capacity to concentrate, think critically, and connect meaningfully with others.
Declining Attention Spans – The infinite scroll culture of social media teaches the brain to seek quick satisfaction, making it increasingly difficult for kids to focus on long-term tasks such as reading, research, or problem-solving. A 2024 research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology discovered that students who spent more than three hours per day on social media had a 20% decrease in their capacity to focus during academic pursuits.
The End of Critical Thinking – Overexposure to easily consumable material reduces intellectual engagement. Instead of engaging in sophisticated arguments or confronting complex subjects, students are driven to clickbait headlines and viral memes. What was the result? A generation that cannot examine, question, and innovate—all of which are necessary for personal and professional success.
Disintegration of Creativity – Creativity relies on calm thought and profound thinking, both of which are made practically impossible by the continual buzz of alerts and the want to see what’s trending. Many Generation Z students describe experiencing writer’s block or a lack of fresh ideas, which they attribute to an inability to “switch off” from digital noise.
Mental Health Effects – Brain rot has a significant impact on mental health, in addition to cognitive deterioration. Social media promotes unhealthy comparisons, cyberbullying, and FOMO, all of which lead to anxiety and despair. The World Health Organisation estimated in 2023 that approximately 20% of teenagers worldwide suffer from mental health issues, with excessive screen use cited as a major culprit.
Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, stated: “Brain rot is one of the perceived threats of virtual life and how we use our leisure time. It feels like the appropriate next step in the cultural discourse about humans and technology. It’s hardly a surprise that so many people supported the word, making it our pick this year.” It may be time to reconsider. Is brain rot only a consequence of cultural deterioration, or is it an evolutionary response? After all, in an era where every fact is searchable, who needs memory? Why solve problems when an algorithm does it for you?
Author: Amar Chowdhury
