Brain Rot: It's Real, But Not in the Way You Think

We’ve all heard the term brain rot used casually—usually as a way to describe the mental fog or lack of cognitive sharpness that can arise from too much screen time, social media doom scrolling, or endless hours spent in front of your cellphone at night. While it might seem like a tongue-in-cheek phrase, there’s a grain of truth to it. But there are also some misconceptions. 

What is Brain Rot Content?

The New York Times in 2024 described it as “internet content deemed to be of low quality or value, or the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by such material”. It’s not an official medical term, but it was named the Oxford word of the year in 2024; which validates its existence beyond the web chatter.  This focus on poor web content consumption is nothing new. Features like screen time counters and night mode options are both established efforts to curb unhealthy scrolling habits. It’s safe to say that brain rot is more than an internet flavor of the month. So, what are the facts and myths surrounding it? 

What Do Most People Get Right?

Brain rot and its connection to excessive amounts of media consumption is a well documented experience. Although complex, many studies cite there being a correlation between mental health and extensive social medium consumption – good and bad. Things like your sleeping patterns can also be disrupted due to the use of  your devices at night on the default brightness settings. And even despite independent studies, Meta in 2017 even admitted that passive consumption of social media could be harmful to mental heal...