If you’ve been on the internet at all over the past two years, you’ve probably heard the word “brainrot.” Colloquially, “brainrot” is a collection of social media slang and content such as “6-7,” “rizz,” “gyatt,” “skibidi,” “fanum tax” etc., even expanding to “Italian Brainrot” which refers to specific characters such as “Ballerina Capuccina,” “Tung Tung Tung Sahur,” etc. This type of content is associated with short-form videos, AI-generated content, and doomscrolling and the harmful psychological effects it has, especially on the younger generation. 

According to Oxford University Press, “brainrot” is broadly defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” This content is deemed unchallenging because it relies on repetitive slang that lacks any actual meaning. For example, if you ask a sixth grader what “6-7” is, they will not have an answer for you, because it does not actually mean anything. 

“Brainrot” is particularly associated with Gen Alpha: those born between 2010 and 2024. It’s no secret that devices have become heavily integrated into our lifestyles, and that this is especially true for Gen Alpha, who grew up with an unprecedented exposure to technology. Across the United States, teachers have expressed their worries regarding the behavior and educational progress of these children. According to The Annie Casey Foundation, only 30% of Gen Alpha fourth graders read proficiently as of 2024. In the classroom, iPads and computers have become mainstream, even in elementary schools; written assignments and textbooks seem to have become a thing of the past. Short-form content and a dependence on constant stimulation from devices has resulted in a severe lack of focus and decreased attention spans, which has posed serious issues in schools. Furthermore, concerns about plagiarism and cheating have reached an alarming high, as students offload even the most basic assignments to Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. 

Yes, the internet can be a great resource for information and learning, but this is not the case when it comes to the majority of short-form content, such as what Instagram reels and TikTok mostly consists of. However, the truth is that “brainrot” in our society goes deeper than just Gen Alpha internet slang on social media. 

Make no mistake, the critical thinking crisis is not exclusive to our youth. It seems like thought-provoking media is near extinct, either removing nuance through oversimplification, watering down the supposed “message,” or lacking any message at all. This isn’t to say that there is no value in entertainment that provides people an escape from their everyday lives; the issue appears when the vast majority of content does not require any type of intellectual activity to consume it. In fact, movies, television, and art can be an excellent way to present new ideas and provoke discussion. However, we cannot ignore the fact that modern media often enables us to bypass critical thinking, instead of prompting it. 

Additionally, due to the addictive nature of social media algorithms, adult internet users (intentionally or not) can easily slip into reliance on social media content to feed them information and tell them what they should care and not care about. Consuming a constant stream of content, especially low quality content, can lead to a dependence on instant gratification and a shorter attention span. As a result, people become less inclined to think critically, and more inclined to continue to consume the content they have become accustomed to. Consequently, deciding on things as simple as what to wear, what to eat, etc. are outsourced to the algorithm. In other words, you don’t need to think when your favorite content creator does it for you. Furthermore, there is an ongoing trend of being “nonchalant” on social media, through which people are encouraged to avoid thinking about things that challenge their existing beliefs or provoke negative feelings. This apathy toward discomfort is incredibly dangerous, as it discourages thoughtfulness and empathy toward the issues that require it the most, instead enabling people to dismiss things as “not that deep.” This has a vast array of negative effects on things from political participation to relationships. 

As technology becomes more and more influential in people’s lives and artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible, it is imperative for us to be cognizant of how it affects our distinctly human ability to think critically. 

Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, not necessarily Our National Conversation as a whole