In 2024, the Oxford University Press officially named “brain rot” its Word of the Year, capturing a term which originated in online subcultures and has rapidly entered mainstream discourse. Once an ironic meme expression, brain rot has evolved into a broader cultural expression for the perceived cognitive decline that has resulted from excessive media consumption. The term reflects a growing sense of collective anxiety around what it means to be “chronically online”, as social media users are finding themselves scrolling endlessly through content that is curated by algorithms. This can often take place at the expense of their attention, memory, and mental clarity.
Trends in research findings indicate that digital media consumption is reshaping cognitive behaviours in measurable ways. A Microsoft study (2015) reported a drop in the average attention span from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 in 2013, alongside other consumer behaviours such as “multi-screening”. More recently, an investigation in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2018) linked excessive digital media use to increased attention difficulties, also validating the idea that our focus has been stolen. The American Psychological Association (2024) has also emphasised the consequences of social media and impulse control, suggesting that certain aspects of social media are interfering with focus and decision-making capabilities.
Although brain rot began as a humorous form of self-diagnosis for those who feel like they spend too much time online, its prevalence in modern society draws attention to much deeper concerns about the neurological and psychological consequences of our digital behaviours.
Dopamine loops
Modern social media platforms are designed to maximise engagement by triggering the brain’s dopamine reward system through a constant chain of novel content. This aligns with the concept of intermittent reinforcement, where a behaviour is rewarded in an unpredictable manner, keeping users online as they crave their next hit of dopamine. This draws a direct resemblance to the process of addiction, which means that over time the brain becomes dependant on constant stimulation, leading to a range of negative behaviours and social media habits such as “doomscrolling”. Consistent exposure to short-form content fragments attention. The constant switching between stimuli can overload the brain’s working memory, reducing its ability to process information deeply. Consequently, this leads to poor retention, quick boredom, and difficulty focusing on tasks that require sustained mental effort.
In other words, the increasingly snappy way online media presents information has a direct effect on attention span, making it difficult for people to stay engaged for extended periods of time. Additionally, having access to endless content choices can lead to fatigue and cognitive overload, where the brain tires from micro-decisions and the emotional undulation. As a result of this, users may feel drained, irritable, or emotionally numb, all of which are commonly-reported symptoms of brain rot.
Digital self-preservation
There is an irony in the way that users are acknowledging their own cognitive decline while continuing to engage with the very behaviours that are causing it, creating a paradoxical cycle. This inconsistency seemingly acts as a shield between a user and the emotional weight of their habits, creating a distance between action and accountability. It does not seem to be the case that users are unaware of this overexposure to online media; however, in accordance with the brain rot phenomenon, it is becoming prevalent that acknowledging this realisation with humour has become a socially acceptable substitute for change.
That said, not all are content to let the process carry on as it is currently. For those looking to break away, developments and means of fighting against the symptoms of brain rot include the increased adoption of “dumbphones”. Dumbphones – basic mobile phones, limited in function to only calling or texting – have gained popularity not only among the privacy conscious, but also among users seeking to reclaim their attention and reduce digital dependency, including parents seeking to limit internet access during their children’s formative years. This movement can be viewed as an act of digital self-preservation, rooted in the recognition that some negative effects of technology are temporary, and may easily be remedied by taking a step away.
Users choosing to get away from the digital media sphere will have consequences for industries that rely on user data or engagement to thrive, but with many daily and even official tasks and processes now dependent on apps, and a high knowledge barrier to entry for many alternative operating systems designed to operate independently of Big Tech’s algorithms, it will likely be some time before this starts to have a wider effect on the digital economy.
Cultural > Clinical
Although the trends in observance so far strongly emphasise the issue of cognitive decline and psychological harm, there are some who disagree. As the world progressively becomes dependent on technology, and many brands increasingly reliant on algorithms to reach audiences, could a reduced attention span be more of a cultural expression than a clinical reality?
Such a theory challenges the assumption that all cognitive shifts that can be associated with digital media are forms of cognitive decline, and suggests that what is often perceived as an attention deficit or mental fatigue could, in fact, reflect a new cognitive adaptation to changing environments. Instead of believing that we are losing certain cognitive abilities, there is reason to believe that actually, our attentions are being redirected towards new priorities.
With an over-reliance on information being so readily available on the internet, research such as that by Sparrow et al. (2011) has suggested that young people are developing a new method for using their brain in a way that is akin to a search engine. This idea proposes that while young people’s brains are becoming less proficient in remembering specific details of information, they are coming to be more skilled at remembering how to access that information. In this way, the future of brand communication may need to start focusing more on discoverability rather than memorability. This would be especially true in maintaining a strong online profile; once the initial virality of a moment in news media or social channels has passed, the digital footprint left behind plays a large part in whether people will re-engage with old narratives or visit official channels.
A new way of thinking
Whether brain rot is truly a sign of cognitive deterioration or an adaptation to the demands of a fast-paced, information-rich environment, changes in user behaviour resemble cognitive reorganisation, where the brain reallocates resources to process fragmented, high-volume input in a more efficient manner. This no doubt is a problem for those who depend on their faculties for traditional information processing, but it may be that as a society, many no longer need to be as competent in this skill, particularly in a time where AI is increasingly being employed to do our thinking for us.
In this climate, some users are no longer taking engagement seriously, often scrolling past sponsored content or interacting ironically, reflecting the growing fatigue and scepticism towards corporate presence in an already overstimulating digital space. As users check out or push back against overwhelm and try to reclaim agency over their digital lives, there needs to be increased emphasis on digital literacy – not only for preserving mental well-being, but for maintaining authenticity in one’s digital presence.
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