Brain Rot: An Unfortunate Word of the Year

The 2024 Oxford Word of the Year is “brain rot.” It is defined 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 characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.” Although this term is meant as a humorous commentary on excessive technology use and hints at its potential harms, the definition itself is incorrect—or at best, incomplete. Brain rot is not just “supposed,” it’s real, and it’s harmful, especially for minors whose brains are still developing. 

Several studies have shown that certain kinds of technology use negatively affect the brain, particularly in minors. One study found that frequent use of mobile devices “may displace their opportunities for learning emotion-regulation strategies over time,” meaning that kids do not develop healthy ways to deal with stress and adversity. Another found that children who spend too much time on screens have less white matter in their brains and perform worse on cognitive testing. Yet another found that Internet addiction literally changes the brain’s structure and can lead to “chronic dysfunction.” Excessive tech usage does more than waste a few hours or reduce time spent in real-world interactions. It can alter the brain in ways that lead to long-term decreases in productivity and social skills. 

Countering brain rot is a serious challenge. Since the pandemic, the time minors spend on screens has skyrocketed, with teens now spending over 8.5 hours per day on them, and tweens at over 5.5 hours. With one study finding that difficulty making friends, lower curiosity, and other psychological issues are correlated with just four hours of screen use, it seems highly probable that excessive screen time is exacerbating the mental health crisis. Given high anxiety levels and the difficulty many young people have forming meaningful real-world relationships, parents, schools, and policymakers should actively be thinking about ways to give kids more opportunities to socialize without screens. 

While public policy can be a ham-fisted way to solve social or cultural challenges, getting phones out of school is one solution that appears to have real promise. It has garnered bipartisan support and the early returns indicate both academic and social benefits. At Illing Middle School in Connecticut, which banned phones last December, students report having to “just find conversation” and “figure it out.” Brain rot is real, but it does not have to become normalized, and it can be beaten when space is created for offline conversation to flourish. 

While schools can and should take certain actions to limit screens, parents will ultimately be the most important fighters in the war on brain rot. While different families will use different methods, and certain kids handle screens better than others, there are a few broad principles parents can use to find success. Delaying the age at which a child gets their first smartphone and then limiting how much time they spend on it is a great first step, as is really learning how to use parental control tools. But kids are often tech-savvy and parental controls are not foolproof. If kids are bored all day, they will find ways to entertain themselves, often through screens. 

Ultimately, beating brain rot requires giving young people meaningful real-world interactions. This can be through religious organizations, sports, the arts, or (especially for younger kids) unstructured play time outside with peers. Taking screens away is only effective if a satisfying alternative is offered. Given the prevalence of the virtual world, community building requires more intentionality than ever, but the payoff is worth it. Let’s beat brain rot, together.