Social media algorithms are quite literally designed to trap you with dopamine hits, the long-term result of which is far less pleasurable: brain rot. Brain rot, according to the Newport Institute, is “a condition of mental fogginess, lethargy, reduced mental attention, and cognitive decline.”
Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, good.
When’s the last time you’ve done something without your phone in sight? Source: Gaspar Uhas on Unsplash
There are many ways to avoid brain rot but this article is for those who cannot or do not want to quit social media completely yet.
So, if you still cannot stop doomscrolling, here’s the midway point: do it with better quality content.
Here are a few creators you can check out for anti-brain rot content
- CatGPT (Instagram): Catherine Goetze breaks down serious issues on how AI is reshaping our life via aesthetic short-form videos.
- glassmuseum (TikTok): Topis covered include why happiness is “overrated” and why everyone has ADHD now.
- americanbaron (Instagram): If you’re gonna doomscroll, do it with cinematic storytelling about existentialism and relationships
- The Washington Post (TikTok): Funny, satirical, behind-the-scenes news reporting
- Pursuit of Wonder (YouTube): Powerful ideas like “Don’t try: The Philosophy of Charles Bukowski” and “Who is the Doomer?”
- Olivia Unplugged (YouTube): Screen time therapy for the chronically online
Check out other articles covering brain rot on Study International, here and here.