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You may have heard of bed rot, the popular social media term coined for the act of spending excessive amounts of time lounging in bed “rotting away.” Now it’s time to make room for “brain rot,” another term that’s gained popularity on social media to describe the experience of spending too much time scrolling through the internet.
Brain rot has become so widely used that the Oxford University Press made it their 2024 word of the year, defining it as “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. Also: something that’s characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”
Don’t worry — if you enjoy a morning (and afternoon and evening) scroll, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve fallen victim to brain rot. However, it introduces a larger conversation around how we use our phones, how long we spend on spend on them, and how much is too much before the brain rot fairy visits us.
Wait, so brain rot is a real thing?
Brain rot is not literal, meaning your brain isn’t actually melting and rotting in your skull with each additional scroll through your favorite social media app.
However, a growing body of research has shown that spending so much time on our smartphones is affecting our brains. Some studies show that excessive engagement with online content (without a social component) can lead to behavioral problems in teens and is linked to symptoms of memory loss, depression, anxiety and stress in teens and adults.
In some cases, the overuse can become a behavioral addiction, making the overconsumption-to-brain rot pipeline something to take seriously if you’re someone who spends a lot of time online.
“The pursuit of instant gratification or having access to so much input all the time has shortened attention spans, so I could see how overuse of technology could contribute to the concept of brain rot,” says Dr. Koriann Cox, a clinical psychologist at the outpatient psychiatry clinic at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt. “If nothing else, technology has changed how we interact with others and the world, so certainly that will have an impact on our brains and overall functioning, for the better and the worse.”
How can I avoid brain rot?
Not using the internet or scrolling social media isn’t realistic for most of us, especially when so much conversation, news and information are shared online. However, practicing healthy habits when using technology is a great place to start and can prevent the overconsumption of online content that can ultimately worsen your mental health.
Cox says that, in general, unhealthy tech habits can impact our overall habits.
“One big example is sleep,” Cox says. “If you’re using your phone in bed, you’re retraining your brain away from the idea that your bed is for sleep. This can, in turn, be a contributor to acute or chronic insomnia.”
In addition, many of the things you do on your phone are designed to offer instant gratification, which is a reward behavior. These reward systems in your brain trigger the release of dopamine, which can make you feel, well, bad when you stop getting that dopamine hit. That’s why phones can be literally addicting, leading to screen time getting higher and higher over time.
“The instant gratification can come from something like mobile gambling or in-app purchases — which leads to extra time, energy or customization within these apps,” says Cox. “Developers make it easy to give users these moments of instant gratification, which also activates the reward pathways in our brains — and we like to do more of what makes us feel good.”
In other words, our favorite sites and apps have perfected their algorithms and deployed other tricks to keep you online, making you vulnerable to brain rot.
How can I practice healthy tech habits?
If it’s difficult for you not to pick up your phone with every notification or to stop scrolling through video after video, the first step might be to take advantage of your phone’s control settings.
“Using settings like limiting or blocking certain apps can be helpful,” Cox says. “There are certain apps available that will also ‘brick’ your phone and disallow you from using certain features and apps after a certain amount of time.”
Cox also says there are physical ways to avoid phone use, but it’s all about getting into the habit.
“If you want to use your phone less, have it less available to you,” she says. “Keep it in the other room or use something like a phone lock box that will keep your phone locked away for any set amount of time.”
You can also use your phone’s do not disturb feature to silence your notifications and prevent you from getting sucked into your phone with each new ping.
Of course, we need our tech for many important life tasks, such as getting directions, calling or texting, or in an emergency. These tactics provide a failsafe to ensure you can access the features you need when you need them — while keeping you off your social media apps.
If you’re finding it extremely hard to stop using your phone or other tech devices, and you’re aware that it’s causing symptoms like anxiety, depression, insomnia and more, it may be time to get some outside help.
“If you’re using your phone to the point of exclusion of important things or people in your life, it could be time to talk to a psychologist or other therapist,” says Cox. “If you’ve tried to limit use and are still struggling, talking to someone can help.”
Can I still use social media?
Of course. It’s all about moderation and staying mindful of how it impacts your mental state, your body and your overall habits.
So, continue your morning (and afternoon and evening) scroll, but try to keep it brief. Limiting the time you spend looking at a screen will lessen your chances of feeling the very real, harmful effects of brain rot — and your algorithm isn’t going anywhere, promise.
