While scrolling on TikTok, Instagram, or Youtube Shorts, you might come across the words “Skibidi toilet rizz,” “gyatt,” or “sigma.” These are only a few of the slang terms that have emerged seemingly out of nowhere on the internet, contributing to an unintelligible digital language that only teenagers and children are privy to. For bewildered parents, grandparents, or infrequent technology users, these words seem made-up and easy to pass off as another mysterious part of the internet. However, these words belie how modern society is cultivating an increasingly nuanced and complex digital environment—one that both serves and preys upon its users. To unpack these terms, we first have to understand the digital landscape and circumstances in which they evolved, which leads us to the rising slang term “brainrot.”

What is Brainrot?

There’s not an official definition for brainrot yet. Much like the people using this term and the internet itself, “brainrot” is relatively new. It was first used around 2007 but didn’t become a part of pop culture until the 2010s and 2020s. According to Wikihow, it is “often a cutting way to imply that someone has lost sight of reality as a result of being too steeped in hyper-specific internet cultures.” 

In essence, “brainrot” is when online content overconsumption causes mental and physical deterioration. Excessive time spent mindlessly scrolling online causes debilitating effects as if your brain is literally rotting. People with “brainrot” often reference memes and internet terms outside the internet, which can be humorous yet indicative of how deeply technology affects our lives. Other definitions relate it to the state of being “too online” or “chronically online,” mental fatigue, “doom-scrolling,” self-deprecating jokes, and mindless meme culture. Whatever we choose to define brainrot as, it’s clear that it isn’t meant to be a good thing.

Skibidi, Rizz, Gyatt

Most “brainrot” terms originate from meme culture, which takes on a variety of forms and contexts within the internet. Put broadly, people use memes to express and communicate their ideas through humor. Memes can be pictures, videos, gifs, texts, and other forms of online communication. Internet meme culture began in the early 20th century, relatively close to the emergence of the internet itself. As the internet continuously evolves, online users develop their own slang terms. These terms usually form within a certain niche or community, and some become popular and spread to users worldwide. Video games hold a large stake in internet culture, and therefore many terms come from games, such as Fortnite. In some cases, they also originate from existing expressions in the real world and become popularized due to the internet: “Gyatt” was originally used in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) as an exclamation, and went viral on TikTok in 2022. The same happened with “rizz,” an abbreviation of charisma that was popularized by Kai Cenat, a Twitch streamer.

There are many reasons these terms are associated with brainrot. Their origins are often niche or extremely specific, meaning it would be difficult to explain why it’s funny to someone who doesn’t spend much time online. Once they go viral, it can be difficult to find the original post or joke because of how quickly new content replicates and expands the trend. In addition, there’s typically not any particular or explainable reason as to why people find brainrot words funny. Like many trends, these terms are popular even when they don’t make sense or have a real purpose. Sometimes, that is the very reason these words are funny– they are so peculiar and uncommon in everyday life that they become an inside joke to those who do recognize the word. The main reason why these words have become so widespread is because of the audience that absorbs them most. Kids and teens who are still developing their critical thinking and decision-making skills are most susceptible to the mindless and repetitive content of brainrot. Given little to no restrictions on their electronic usage, it’s easy to keep themselves entertained by exploring the internet. Therefore, they start picking up terms from the content they consume through YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and other platforms. Then, they start spreading it to their peers at school or through social media. As a result, communicating online has become a natural part of modern social interaction and relationship building. The term “brainrot” is both a humorous and self-aware response to this growing social culture and the consequences it brings. 

Just Get Off Your Phone!

…is what most parents will say to their children. But anyone, even parents, can be susceptible to the lure of the screen. Older generations haven’t grown up with electronic devices, so in some ways, they are disadvantaged in knowing how to navigate the digital world. However, regardless of age, getting off of your phone is easier said than done. 

One of the larger reasons why it’s hard to do so is because there is a physiological component that comes into play with digital consumption. According to the pain-pleasure principle, as humans, our brains unconsciously tend to seek out pleasure, or whatever is the farthest away from pain. Pleasurable activities make us happy and give us fulfillment in our lives. We enjoy pursuing our hobbies, spending time with our friends, achieving our goals, and the like. Pleasure is inextricably linked to pain, although this doesn’t necessarily mean physical pain. We associate things we don’t want to do with pain, for example, giving a speech or taking a test. While the pain-pleasure principle may not apply to every human motivation, it’s a reasonable explanation for widespread digital overconsumption. Our brain loves what’s familiar, and scrolling offers us dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter. Why bother doing your homework when it’s much easier and more fun to browse on TikTok for a little break? Why would you want to go out when you’re already in bed and your phone’s just a grab away? 

Combine that with another factor: The internet is used worldwide. Around 5.35 billion people, or 66% of the world’s population has access to the internet. It varies by age group, but most people spend 6.5 hours on the internet daily. In particular, those between the ages of 16 and 24 spend an additional 2.5 hours online than those between the ages of 55 and 64. It makes logical sense –society has already integrated electronics into our daily lives. We use our phones to maintain relationships with and contact people, we use gaming consoles for entertainment, and we work on our laptops and PCs. Teens and children tend to have more time to spend on their phones than adults with families and full-time jobs. With more free time, it’s easy to constantly chase the high that mindless scrolling provides. In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic furthered societal integration with technology. From grocery delivery to Zoom learning, online shopping and social distancing processes simply eased technology reliance into normality because of the convenience they provide. We relied heavily on technology for education, work, socializing, and more, and now it has become our new “normal.”   

The reward for digital consumption varies from individual to individual; people’s motivations are as varied as their circumstances. For college students, it could be a simple couple minutes away from boredom, a way to procrastinate from studying, or an accidentally extended social media check. For children, it could be what’s given to them as an easy means of entertainment and distraction. For people who may be restricted or unsafe in their home environments, it could be a mental escape from reality. Whatever the reason, it’s all too easy to fall into that trap when we as a society have already integrated electronics into our daily lives. We enjoy texting our friends, watching YouTube videos, and digging through the wealth of information that the internet provides. However, the internet has become less of a tool and more of a necessity. To what extent has technology become a crutch for society? At what point does digital consumption become too much?

Addiction & Its Consequences

Admittedly, “brainrot” is a funny term to coin society’s rising digital addiction, which isn’t inherently bad. The mental benefits of digital consumption have been established: it’s easy, gives us the happy chemical, and provides us with information and an escape from boredom. And sure, general digital usage does have some physical benefits, such as improved hand-eye coordination, and the development of cognitive and motor skills.

However, too much of anything becomes a problem when it upsets a balance. Being unable to let go of that excess can be an addiction. Typical addictions that might come to mind seem obvious–drinking and drugs, for example. Brainrot seems harmless enough in comparison, and it’s easy to tell when the “brainrot” is too much, right? But in reality, addictions cover a wide spectrum, and the consequences aren’t always obvious. 

Online content has become shorter and shorter to keep up with dwindling attention spans. Virtually every social media platform has some type of short-form content, like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikToks, Facebook videos, and more. At this point, having short-form content is almost a prerequisite for platforms vying to eliminate competition and become the most personalized “super-app.” Furthermore, it’s no wonder short-form videos have been increasingly popular because the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8.25 seconds in 2015. For comparison, that’s less than a goldfish, whose attention spans are 9 seconds. When we spend such little time focusing on what’s presented to us, it’s easy to make quick, superficial judgments. According to Media Literacy Now’s 2022 national survey, only 42% of respondents were taught how to analyze science news for credibility and bias. Only 38% reported learning how to analyze and reflect on media messaging. 

Decreased media literacy isn’t the only consequence at large, either. Poor media literacy often indicates poor critical thinking development, which is an especially dangerous problem for children and can stunt their development of self-control,emotional maturity, stability, and regulation. Over time, overexposure to misleading, negative, or dangerous content can lead to higher levels of psychological distress and a decline in mental health. Digital overconsumption can contribute to eye strain, bad postural development (how many of you are slouching while reading this?), poor financial habits, and so on. In addition, too much time spent online can lead to an imbalanced lifestyle through decreased socialization, declining activity levels, and inadequate nutrition. Unsurprisingly, many of these negative outcomes are found in other addictions.  

Digital overconsumption can certainly qualify as an addiction, yet we treat it with less importance compared to other addictions or activities we know are unhealthy. That may be because it’s relatively new and widespread, but regardless, being aware of your usage is the first step to avoiding an addiction. Brainrot depends on the individual’s level of digital usage, what type of content they’re consuming, and how it affects their daily life. No, you’re not brainrotted for watching some dog videos in your free time, but if your daily life and ability to function are consistently disrupted by your need to scroll on your phone, then yes, you’re cooked. 

Profit 

We are well aware of the consequences of digital overconsumption, so why is it so hard to stop? One of the biggest reasons is profit. Corporations and brands profit when you, a potential consumer, watch an Instagram Reel discussing their product. Influencers and content creators benefit when you like and share their posts. Meme accounts benefit when you follow their account, give them attention, and make them famous. Companies want to know what you spend your money on, what you’d be willing to spend your time on, and what you don’t want to look at. And it’s not just limited to your time and money–your emotions are profitable, and while what you do online can’t entirely be manipulated, what you see on your screen most definitely can be. Any attention you give, good or bad, is still attention and data.

Social media is, unsurprisingly, built to keep us scrolling. Many platforms keep it simple by prioritizing messaging and content viewing. When opening Instagram, you’re instantly greeted by your “home page,” which shows you posts and stories from people you follow in the center, taking up most of the screen. The messaging feature is tucked neatly away in the top right. The bottom row allows you to choose between the home page, search bar, content creation, Reels, and your profile. In particular, Instagram is known for heavily pushing Reels as their optimal form of content. Even on the home page, once you’re done watching a Reel, Instagram gives you two options: to watch it again or to watch more Reels. We are constantly prompted with options on what to do: Reels, messages, posts, and stories. Once we’re done looking at one thing, we’re asked to look at another. 

Behind the scenes, the type of content you like to watch and interact with is tracked through likes, comments, and shares. Social media platforms use algorithms to filter out what you don’t click on, therefore finetuning what appears on your page in an effort to keep you engaged. These apps can vary on the forms and aspects of user engagement they prioritize, but ultimately, this stifles our ability to discover and learn from content kept outside our algorithm. The internet is an accessible, widespread resource for information, so filtering out what we can learn harms our ability to develop diverse perspectives. In addition, this creates an echo chamber in which users only see content that reaffirms their pre-existing beliefs. There is little to no room for contrasting viewpoints and open discussion, which allows misinformation, violent, and negative content to spread. Such feedback loops have the potential to escalate and manifest violent and harmful behavior, whether to oneself or others. Nowadays, it seems that society is well aware of the dangerous implications of internet addictions, but unfortunately, all of this has become a trifling matter in the name of engagement. 

With user experience and interface design (UI/UX), app and website features, content placement, algorithms, and more, everything we see–and don’t see–plays a part in optimizing user consumption. And with little restrictions on our digital usage, it’s easy for innocent users to be preyed upon without even realizing it. Of course, that doesn’t mean the content creator on your feed is actively trying to lure you into the internet rabbit hole or anything; it’s simply important to be conscious of your position on the internet and how the digital world will transform itself in response.  

Online content has become increasingly cultivated and personalized to our growing usage of the internet. However, keep in mind that most online content is not ill-intentioned. Once corporations and profit come into play, that’s when things start getting dicey. 

What Now?

It’s one thing to acknowledge the debilitating effects of brainrot, and it’s another to actively step away from it. The most obvious answer seems to be to take breaks and touch grass (spend more time outside), right? Still, that insinuates we will continually return to our electronic devices as if they provide a more natural environment than reality. We can take breaks, but can we ever truly recover from the world of digital media without fully disconnecting? 

It’s a digital era–for better or for worse. It’s not like we should, or can at this point, distance ourselves completely from technology. There’s no easy way out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves into, but we can surely evolve and navigate our way through it. If your circumstances include the privilege of having the means to access the internet, then it’s likely you also have the means to choose what to do, or what not to do, in your free time. If you have the power over your circumstances to allow yourself too much screen time, then likewise, you have the power to set boundaries for yourself. 

If you’re an adult or a teen with free reign over your electronic usage, then it’s all about self-discipline. How far are you willing to go to set boundaries for yourself and follow them consistently? Because of how deeply rooted digital relationship maintenance and information gathering have become, there can be social consequences to restricting or cutting off your digital use. For example, having an online presence is essential for maintaining long-distance relationships and friendships. If you must have a social media or online presence, how willing are you to face those consequences? How far will you go to maintain your habits? To what extent fits your circumstances the most? Simply try different methods and see what fits your lifestyle.                                                                                                       

Some of the more well-known ways to balance your digital usage include physically turning off your phone, flipping it over, or putting it away somewhere you can’t see it (out of sight, out of mind). Setting social and/or digital boundaries can also work. For example, some families have traditions of not having any phones at the dining table. Depending on your phone’s capabilities, you can turn off your social media notifications, set your device to Do Not Disturb during studying or working hours, or configure some app screen time limits in your settings. Otherwise, feel free to straight up delete distracting apps or not have them at all!

For young children, it’s a thinner line to tread. When used properly, screen time can aid in their development. If they do have access to a device, screen time should be guided and moderated. Consider how screen time is being utilized, their access, and the type of content available. Is screen time being used as a reward? If so, are they being taught healthy emotional habits and behaviors just like how they would be with any other toy? Do they have free access to the device, or are they with a caregiver or adult? Is their interaction with the electronic monitored or guided? What type of content are they interacting with? Is it educational or simply meant to entertain them? If it’s entertainment, are they obtaining any real value from it or is it just empty mental stimulation? These are questions to consider that will help you set digital boundaries and guidelines.

It may feel silly having to turn off your notifications or change your phone settings, but that’s okay. Experiment with what works for you and take advantage of your phone’s countless features. Any step taken toward a more balanced life with less brainrot is a step in the right direction. 

Conclusion

I’m no expert on digital media nor the scientific effects of excess screen time, but much like most of my generation, I spend quite a bit of time online. However, if you have the means to do so, don’t let yourself be a willing victim of digital media. In our current world rife with war, political and social challenges, economic and environmental instability, and other global issues, overcoming digital addiction seems quite attainable.

There’s no denying that humanity will always seek out information. We aim to understand our world while finding purpose. In this pursuit, we continue to be bedazzled by new technology and enraptured by all the possibilities the digital world presents. Digital media, for all of its pervasiveness, has already asserted its integral position in society. Whether we utilize technology as a tool or allow it to overtake us completely is a decision that begins with you.