Brain rot is not just the word of the year 2024, as chosen by the Oxford English Dictionary; it’s a true cultural phenomenon. The term, originating in the Reddit-sphere and refined in the memetic circles of Twitter and TikTok, describes that feeling of apathy and mental emptiness caused by the compulsive consumption of digital content. An endless scrolling spiral that starts innocently by opening an app and ends three hours later when you realize you’ve watched twenty Subway Surfer clips overlaid with kids’ chat videos, alternating with ASMR carpet-cleaning videos and nonsensical dances. The question is: why are we so drawn to this form of intellectual self-sabotage?

Brain rot emerges as a byproduct of internet culture, an ecosystem designed to stimulate dopamine release with every tap. The design of content that induces brain rot is a masterpiece of applied psychology. Short videos with saturated colors, frantic editing, and catchy sounds. The golden rule is: capture attention within the first three seconds, or you’re already forgotten. This is why Subway Surfer has become the symbol of this era: a hypnotic game requiring no cognitive effort but constantly rewarding the player with small visual and auditory successes. Other examples include the so-called “side-by-side videos,” where a mundane activity like cutting soap (couldn’t think of anything else, first example that came to mind) is paired with a robotic voice explaining the life of Marcus Aurelius. The message is clear: the brain must be occupied, but never truly stimulated.

Memetic culture has shaped this obsession. Every piece of content is designed to be consumed, shared, and forgotten. Humor is surreal, often derived from obscure references that only those immersed in the same cultural bubble can grasp. But the true innovation of brain rot is its ability to flatten complexity. Everything, from news and historical facts to chats between nonexistent people, is made digestible in the same format. Internet culture has become fast food, and in this scenario, brain rot is like the budget-saving sandwich.

The pros of this phenomenon? Well, we could mention the democratization of entertainment, the ability to connect with global communities, and the emergence of new creative languages. However, the cons are hard to ignore and undoubtedly far greater. Constant consumption of fragmented content reduces our ability to focus and delve deeper. Furthermore, there’s an issue of mental sustainability: brain rot leaves us exhausted, disconnected, and, ironically, bored.

In the end, brain rot is not just a cultural diagnosis but a mirror reflecting our relationship with technology and information. It’s the price we pay for omnipresent, rapid, and seemingly free entertainment, which consumes us while making us believe we’re the ones consuming it. The challenge, then, is not just recognizing it but learning to break the cycle: rediscovering the value of slowness, depth, and perhaps creative boredom. Because while it’s true that the brain can never truly rest, we still have the power to choose how to nourish it.