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Ever found yourself constantly referring to memes or using social media slang in a real-life setting? If so, you may be suffering from a case of "brain rot." Coming into common parlance with the rise of social media, brain rot refers to the symptoms that can occur when someone spends too much time online.
While the term is often used jokingly or in a more informal setting, that doesn't mean it's not a serious problem. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
If you spend a lot of time scrolling on social media, you may have come across the term "brain rot." Indeed, someone may even have suggested you suffer from it!
In the internet community, the term brain rot refers to when someone spends so much time on the internet that the way they speak and think becomes confusing to the average person.
You might accuse someone of brain rot, for example, if they use so much internet slang that their language becomes unintelligible, or they express an opinion that is completely out of touch with reality.
Brain rot can also refer to the mental decline that some people experience as a result of overexposure to the internet. This can include brain fog, poor attention span, and limited critical thinking skills.
First up is internet addiction. A person experiencing brain rot will often find it very difficult to step away from the stream of voices they engage with on their phone.
They may spend hours per day scrolling through social media platforms, which are in fact designed to be addictive, rather than doing other, healthier things, such as exercising.
Brain rot is often accompanied by an over-familiarity with certain online subjects. Often, a person with brain rot will feel considerable pressure to keep up with the fast-moving online community.
As a result, there is a huge amount of content available for users to choose from, and they end up constantly switching between platforms, which over time can erode attention span.
Brain rot may also harm a person’s critical thinking and/or media literacy skills. They may become less likely to scrutinize the material put in front of them.
Often, a person experiencing brain rot will respond impulsively to the first thing they read online, rather than taking the time to think before voicing their opinion.
Brain rot also goes hand in hand with doomscrolling, which is the practice of constantly scrolling through social media to feed off pieces of negative news.
Doomscrolling can be very addictive, since there is always something new to read about. However, it can be very harmful to mental health, causing stress and even depression.
Another related phenomenon that people may experience is brain fog. This is a term that entered common parlance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, the symptoms of slowness that can arise when recovering from a virus, such as poor planning or decision-making skills, can also develop from spending too much time online.
People who spend so much time online that they experience brain rot will often also struggle with depression or low self-esteem.
Social media places a huge amount of pressure on people to collect likes and followers, and it makes people want to appear perfect. Of course, no one is perfect, and the pressure to appear so can cause serious self-esteem issues.
Finally, people with brain rot can become aggressive. Indeed, it is often a term used to describe people who are overly combative, either online or in the real world.
The idea is that the person has spent so much time online that they have become out of touch with reality, and they are more likely to argue about trivial things as a result.
If you are looking to prevent brain rot, the best thing to do is cut it off at the source. There is no rule about how much social media is too much, but experts recommend putting down your phone as much as possible.
A good place to start is by trying to limit yourself to 60 minutes of scrolling per day. You might use a built-in time tracker to help enforce the limit.
Another way to exercise some control over how your internet exposure affects you is to curate who you see online.
The most effective way to do this is to block people liberally and choose who you follow carefully. Don't be afraid to unfollow people whose content you find upsetting.
It is also a good idea to engage your brain in other ways. Bear in mind that social media content is generally not that engaging for your brain.
You need not go crazy with physical activity, but it is worth trying to get in 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. This could be as simple as going for a walk.
Finally, if you feel that spending time on the internet is negatively impacting your life and you don’t know what to do about it, don’t hesitate to see a therapist for advice.
Sources: (WikiHow)
See also: How endless scrolling through social media can make you sick (literally)
Understanding the concept of brain rot
The consequences of spending too much time online
LIFESTYLE Internet
Ever found yourself constantly referring to memes or using social media slang in a real-life setting? If so, you may be suffering from a case of "brain rot." Coming into common parlance with the rise of social media, brain rot refers to the symptoms that can occur when someone spends too much time online.
While the term is often used jokingly or in a more informal setting, that doesn't mean it's not a serious problem. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.