Brainrot Breakdown

Brainrot was named Oxford’s word of the year in 2024, 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. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”

Along with 68% of students from a survey of 120 students at the school, sophomore Elynne Strack spends much of her time scrolling through brainrot on TikTok.

“I would define brainrot as stupid stuff you see online [on] the Internet and trends that go around that usually have some backstory,” Strack said.

The term describes videos or phrases that are popular in Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities that come in various forms. Many students like to use trending words or phrases such as ‘sigma’ or ‘rizz’ to describe how they feel about someone or something.

An article by ThinkHouse suggests brainrot can begin with a viral TikTok video that leads to what they call a “collective brainrot” that dominates TikTok feeds for weeks. For example, “Six seven” is a popular term kids have adapted from TikTok, initially referring to the lyric in the song ‘Doot Doot’ by Skrilla.

Sophomore Jack Musil describes this evolution as a spectrum that starts authentic, but then becomes unfunny.

“What we see a lot nowadays is that we go through a cycle where the brainrot starts genuine. We pass time, it’s decided to be unfunny, and then miraculously it becomes funny again through irony and satirization,” Musil said.

Strain on Students

Even for the students who don’t consume brainrot, they might find it hard to escape the culture it’s created at school, as  sophomore Stella Goodman points out.

“I’ll be in chemistry class, and we’ll be solving an equation, and a kid across the room will be yelling ‘six seven’ because he sees it on the board,” Goodman said. “[Brainrot] might not affect me, but it affects a bunch of people around me.”

Brainrot has crept into the lives of students because it’s addictive. After spending hours every night doomscrolling, the brain relies on the constant pump of dopamine that brainrot gives. This feedback loop causes what the National Institute of Health (NIH) calls “digital overstimulation,” a fatigue that comes with heavy technology use. Some students, like senior Cayden Rotich, are able to notice how consuming brainrot has affected them and their concentration.

“TikTok has genuinely messed up my attention span. Sometimes I won’t be able to focus on anything for longer than 30 seconds,” Rotich said. “Some TikTok videos I have to put into 2x speed because I’m too lazy to sit through it all.”

History teacher Carter Sebasto has not only seen the connection between brainrot and interference when teaching, but also how the disruptions have changed.

“There’s no creativity behind disrupting class anymore,” Sebasto said. “The kids that want to be disruptive just say brainrot, and then all the other kids laugh. I think it’s definitely shortened attention spans [that] harmed that critical thinking element.”

The NIH conducted a study on the impact of brainrot on a teenager’s mind, and discovered that a high screentime or over exposure to brainrot content diminishes cognitive function. The study also explains why it might be easier to lose focus on schoolwork, as Rotich points out.

“I can’t do homework sometimes because it will say anything even slightly connected to brainrot and I get distracted,” Rotich said. “I saw a math problem where one kid’s name was Mason, [a term connected with brainrot], and it was terrible. I couldn’t focus.”

Putting the Social in Media

Outside of in class instruction time, brainrot affects interpersonal lives within school. There may be both perceived benefits and drawbacks to consuming brainrot content, but it is clear that it has created social and cultural shifts. However, opinions on these effects and their magnitude may differ from student to student.

For example, Musil believes that knowledge and awareness of brainrot terms is key to avoiding exclusion among one’s peers.

“General social standing is greatly affected by your prowess of understanding and utilizing the terms that people use in brainrot, because it’s become ingrained in the culture of society,” Musil said. “It’s a huge part of the cultural zeitgeist right now.”

In contrast to what Musil believes, Goodman thinks that brainrot content is inclusive due to its widespread nature.

“Everybody, even if I’m not friends with someone, and they make a funny joke about brainrot, everybody knows it,” Goodman said. “Since everybody knows it, everybody can be included and I think it’s a big inside joke. It’s really funny because the teachers don’t understand it.”

Acknowledging both the positive and negative effects on society, Rotich agrees with Goodman about the idea that brainrot can create shared bonds with others through collective inside jokes.

“[Brainrot] is affecting our culture,” Rotich said. “It’s terrible, but it’s so awesome at the same time. I can go up to anybody, even if I have no clue who they are, say ‘six seven’ and I know they’ll understand and love it. In that sense, it brings all types of people together.”

Logged Off

Brainrot has found its way into students’ everyday lives, but for those students who aren’t on social media, the negative effects of brainrot content haven’t invaded their lives.

Brainrot content mostly exists on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Senior Rider Rew isn’t on either and believes that students should find healthier ways to decompress that don’t include spending hours scrolling.

“I think it’s replacing already healthy ways to de-stress,” Rew said. “Read a book, listen to music, learn how to play an instrument, go on a walk. Do you need to watch regurgitated content to calm yourself down?”

Similar to Rew, sophomore Shriya Mihir isn’t on social media and encourages others to avoid these platforms and explore other interests.

“I’d recommend to delete the app totally,” Mihir said. “Try to fill your life with other activities. If you don’t do any clubs, maybe join a new club that seems to interest you, join a sport or go out with friends and hang out with others. Take your attention away from the chronically online blindness.”

However, for those who are still on social media, there are ways to combat brainrot. A report published by The Newport Institute recommends trying to limit screen time or pursue non-online interests. Many people, such as Musil, call these attempts to combat brainrot “brain nourishment.”

“I think that brainrot and brain nourishment are two sides of the same coin,” Musil said. “Brain nourishment is the opposite of brainrot, in which you can learn new things and expand your brain.”

A healthy balance of brainrot and brain nourishment can help students combat negative effects. For those who remain online, Mihir suggests limiting screen time.

“I don’t think you have to get rid of social media, but you should consume it in healthy doses,” Mihir said. “There are some kids who are too chronically online, and I’m like, ‘You should set your phone down for a day and take a break, maybe touch some grass.’”