Commentary: 'Brain rot' has overtaken social media. Here's why we should guard against it

SINGAPORE: If you passed by a stranger on the street handing out free garbage, would you take it all home with you? 

No? So why do so many of us indiscriminately consume copious amounts of “mindless” content on social media each day, allowing a constant deluge of random and trivial information to inundate our headspace and suck away our time and energy?

The usage of the term “brain rot” surged 230 per cent between 2023 and 2024, particularly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities on TikTok. “Brain rot” has even been named the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024, capturing concerns about “the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media”, said the Oxford University Press.

Singaporeans spend an average of six hours and 49 minutes online daily, most of which are spent on their mobile phones. Of this, two hours and 14 minutes are spent on social media, according to a 2024 report by Meltwater and We Are Social.

Singaporeans, like many others around the world, are also showing an increasing preference for video-centric platforms. The average TikTok user logs in about 19 times a day, spending a cumulative 95 minutes a day on the app. 

The prevalence and popularity of brain rot is a “symptom of the time we're living in”, said psychologist and Oxford University professor Andrew Przybylski. 

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said: “Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.”

But is “brain rot” content really all that social media is good for?

ARE OUR BRAINS REALLY ROTTING? 

Social media has evolved over the years to focus overwhelmingly on short-form content - microblogging on X, short videos on Instagram and TikTok - all the while eating more and more into spaces previously reserved for longer-form content, such as books and movies. Such content is just easier to consume on-the-go or all the time, due to its shorter lengths and easy access thanks to smartphones. 

But research overwhelmingly shows that constant consumption of short, fast-paced content can overwhelm the brain, leading to decreased attention spans, mental exhaustion, and a reduced ability to engage with deeper, more meaningful activities - like spending quality, uninterrupted time with your friends and loved ones. 

It can also lead to a decline in critical thinking skills, memory, problem-solving abilities and analytical skills. Indeed, experts have observed cognitive and neurological changes in heavy users of TikTok, more dramatically in still-developing teen brains, including memory loss, depression, stress and anxiety.

“Brain rot” isn’t just glib slang. Our brains are, quite literally, rotting.

It’s hard to imagine that social media initially started out as an exciting, revolutionary way to connect people across the globe like never before, yet more than two decades on, it has turned into the default medium for “wasting time” or “doing nothing”.

We can blame social media for “causing” brain rot - but that would be a bit like blaming water for causing people to drown, rather than people not really knowing how to swim but jumping into the water anyway. 

What if we could instead learn to use social media in a way that actually nourishes us mentally and psychologically?

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO GROW INSTEAD OF ROT

First, we need to be clear about what we’re using social media for. If we’re only looking to waste time, then that’s what we’ll get - garbage in, garbage out.

Start paying attention to how much time you’re spending on social media. Experts generally recommend keeping social media usage to between 30 minutes and two hours per day. Check your smartphone’s in-built screen time tracker - are you busting this on the regular? Did you even realise? 

In order to prevent those “whoa, did three hours fly past just like that” moments, consider setting tangible limits for yourself. 

You could designate a few specific time slots of the day for social media use - during commutes, for instance, or only after you’ve caught up on the day’s news. You could also instate a daily app use limit for certain apps you tend to lose yourself in, or manually set a timer for, say, 15 minutes before opening TikTok or Instagram. 

Turning off notifications helps prevent you from being drawn into endless scroll fests. 

Next, take steps to redesign your social media use with intention and purpose. 

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home; it’s good to regularly declutter your social media feeds too. Check your following list - how many acquaintances are you following out of “politeness”, or influencers who don’t really offer anything of value or substance, or random accounts for tabloid or gossip content or for special interests you no longer pursue?

If you’re not sure where to start, go back to the basics and ask yourself: Why are you on social media to begin with? What do you hope to gain from it? How do you want it to benefit yourself, or people or causes you care about? What are your core priorities and needs? What are your interests and knowledge gaps? 

Maybe you’ve been thinking about beefing up your knowledge about personal finance. Maybe you’re looking for tips on baking, or planning a solo trip to South America, or picking up a new sport, or training your dog to stop barking at strangers.

Once you’ve curated your following list to focus only on things that contribute positively towards your growth - friends you want to keep up with, for instance, or content creators that directly and productively feed your active interests - you might find that instead of being an endless vortex of mindless scrolling, your smartphone becomes an expansive portal to access ideas and information that expand your mind, rather than shrink or stagnate it. 

A balanced and varied diet isn’t just good for the body, but the mind, too. Instead of automatically diving into Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, try diversifying the social media content you consume. 

For instance, YouTube has great instructional and informational videos, and there’s a Spotify or Apple podcast for pretty much any topic under the sun. Not everything on social media is “brain rot”.  

DEVELOPING HEALTHY HABITS OUTSIDE SOCIAL MEDIA

At the end of the day, it never hurts to spend more time completely off social media.

Instead of tracking friends via the snippets they post online, why not drop them a line or arrange an actual meet-up? Keep this up and, over time, you’ll find yourself more inclined to spend time conversing and interacting with those you care about, rather than just looking out for their latest Instagram Story.

Aside from your actual social media use, focus on developing a healthy relationship with the physical medium you use to access these digital platforms. Go for a walk or a run without your phone. Leave it in your bag for the duration of a meal. Turn it off an hour before bedtime. Buy a disposable camera, and make your next weekend vacay phone-free! 

To ensure your hands don’t reach for your phone on autopilot, make the effort to pursue non-digital interests. Spend time in nature, read a book (a physical book, not an e-book on your phone), create something (cook, paint, or finally put up that Ikea shelf you’ve been meaning to get to for weeks), or engage in physical entertainment such as a board game, jigsaw puzzle or crossword puzzle. 

All these require you to slow down, use your hands, and exercise patience and deliberate intention - the complete antithesis of brain rot.

Try these out for a few weeks, and the next time you’re on social media, you might realise that a few minutes of meaningless, mindless entertainment doesn’t quite compare to the personal satisfaction you get from being more engaged with your own life.

Tracy Lee is a freelance lifestyle writer based in Singapore.