Hello. Hi!
Each year, the Oxford English Dictionary chooses a word that is in some way a representation of the mood and conversations in our world over the past twelve months. Introducing:
(n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.
Depressing right?
When I first read the announcement, I visualized a partially eaten apple core. Kind of like the ones I find in my youngest son's room. Recently eaten, sticky, a little brown and sometimes a funky smell. His apples, to me, are 3D examples of what brain rot looks like.
Brain rot, according to the folks at The Oxford Dictionary, is "referring to low-quality, low-value content found on social media and the internet, as well as the subsequent negative impact that consuming this type of content is perceived to have on an individual or society".
Surprised? I'm not.
'Brain rot' was first popular in the viral world of TikTok. When I chatted with my sixteen-year-old about the word of the year, he rolled his eyes at me. There might have been a heavy sigh, too. He stopped short of saying, "come on, Mom" but you get the point. After his eyes returned to the front of his face, he shared this lovely SpongeBob video with me. If you are interested, this will catch you up on what brain rot means to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And introduce you to words like ‘skibidi’, ‘Ohio’ and more. Enjoy. And you're welcome.
We have built a society aimed at finding ways to make life easier. Information at our fingertips. Goods, one click away. The latest trends spread in a matter of hours. We are more connected than ever before. It's easy to consume but messy too. Kinda like the apple core.
In doing so, we've created a world where there is information overload, micro attention spans and an epidemic of loneliness. Don't know the answer? Google it. Need to brainstorm something? Enter ChatGPT. Have a question a human needs to answer? Ping them. Bored on the toilet? Zone out on your phone. No thought required. No discomfort. It's all quick and easy. Heaven forbid we don't know the answer to something!
But, as we all know, it comes at a cost. This isn't news.
Even though 'brain rot' was popularized by a younger generation than I, it doesn't really matter how old you are. The lure of distraction and ease is all around.
A few weeks ago, I was comparing app usage times with some of the young adults in my life. Have you ever done that? It's both eye-opening and cringeworthy. The hours I'd spent on TikTok watching Taylor Swift concert clips, drooling over mountain hiking videos and learning how to style clothes was shocking. The teenagers made fun of me for how much time I'd spent. If they thought my app usage was high, I knew I was in trouble. While I was aware I'd been zoning out, I had no clue I was spending that much time.
I immediately deleted the app.
I wish I could tell you about the success of my digital detox, but that would make me like Pinocchio telling tall tales. I am just as tethered to my phone as the next person. But at least I ditched one addictive app! Yeah, a win! #sarcasm
The thing is, brain rot is all around. Social media notifications. News alerts. The constant ping of text messages. A never-ending push to buy buy buy. Weather warnings. Mindless scrolling. The dopamine rush has trained us to consume short bites of information and impacted how we think about challenging topics and engage with others.
But it's not all hopeless. I promise. We have more agency in our lives than we think.
Awareness is key. When we notice that we are scrolling, we are in a position to take action. Maybe we won't take action right away, but the more you notice a behaviour you wish to change, the more you are in a position to do something about it. Deleting and logging out of apps. Using timers to remind you to put the phone down. Reading the longer article instead of just the caption below the image. Picking up the phone instead of texting.
All things we can do to slow the dopamine brain rot train.
The a-ha moment I had with my TikTok usage was a reminder that the power to delete and make a change rests, quite literally, in my hands. I just had to pause for a moment to notice.
As I go forward in the next few weeks, I'm keenly aware that the rot of the scroll won't lead to the kind of connections I want to foster during the holiday season, and I'm reminding myself that:
I don't need to know all the details. I can listen and hold space.
I don't need to rush from one thing to the next.
I can turn off notifications, leave group chats and bury my phone in my bag.
I can read one article at a time instead of five.
I can answer the question "Hi, how's it going?" with more than just "Great! How are you?"
In a season of busy and noise you can take charge too. While a word of the year like brain rot might at first glance seem to be a sad reflection on the state of society. To me, it's a wake-up call and reminder that we can be part of a world that values genuine connection and presence. Brain rot be dammed.
As always, thank you for being here. I'll see you next week.
With gratitude,
Sarah
Reflection Questions …
Who do I want to have a deeper conversation with?
What does that look like?
How does it feel?
for more …
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I love that you noticed something about your life, reflected on it & decided to take action. You are a great writer. Thank you.