Getting Over Brainrot Might Actually Save Your Life

Yes, the title is meant to be a little attention-grabbing (and favorable to the algorithm). But, I do believe that there is truth in thinking that getting over brain rot right now in this age can save your life. I have tried to reference research articles and papers to support this argument. It is also important to note that I do not have full access to every research paper. I am relying on the abstracts, summaries, and interpretations of said research papers.

Keeping that in mind, I feel that with a topic like this, which says:

Social Media (too much) = bad bad!

It is a very well-known topic and hard to argue against. Social media is an extremely toxic place, and getting away from it only helps you.

Warning: If you have a social media addiction that disrupts your mental health, physical health, and social relationships, please seek professional help.

Thankfully, there is slow and steady progress in the masses asking themselves this question, "How do we stop?"

There is no denying that Gen Z is actively identifying the problem and now promoting Anti-Brainrot and Anti-Bedrot programs for people at home to follow. People know that these high screen times are not productive uses of time and are working to limit them. Forty-six percent of Gen Z have time limit restrictions on their phones; however, despite these limitations, screen time for that age range is the highest. Why are we so glued to our phones even though we could do more fulfilling things with our time? Because social media is designed to be psychologically addictive. Yet, it seems that these efforts are being buried by algorithms. On my personal Instagram account, I only get reels on topics that make me angry (a tactic used by social media platforms to keep you on the app) or lifestyle trends. But on my vlogvanta account, where I primarily interact with self-help and productivity-focused content, I am seeing a rise in people making themselves and others aware of the kind of life we live in now.

With the way the world is progressing, I believe it is incredibly easy to get ahead and future-proof yourself with some very, very basic habits and restrictions. When I say ‘future-proof,’ I mean avoiding the NUMEROUS health risks we all face when we let ourselves get addicted to social media. Some of them are:

Psychological Effects

1. Anxiety and stress (from constant notifications, FOMO)

2. Depression (especially due to a comparison culture)

3. Low self-esteem (seeing curated, filtered lives)

4. Sleep disorders (doomscrolling late at night)

5. Reduced attention span (constant switching of content)

6. Impaired emotional regulation

7. Increased irritability or mood swings

8. Obsessive thoughts about online presence

9. Social validation dependency (needing likes, comments)

10. Imposter syndrome

11. Cyberchondria (obsessing over health due to online content)

12. Body image issues (influenced by unrealistic beauty standards)

Physical Health Impacts

1. Eye strain and blurred vision (screen fatigue)

2. Poor posture and text neck

3. Headaches and migraines

4. Reduced physical activity (sedentary lifestyle)

5. Weight gain or unhealthy eating habits (snacking during use)

6. Sleep deprivation or insomnia

7. Wrist or thumb strain (e.g., “texting thumb”)

Academic/Work Consequences

1. Declining academic performance

2. Reduced productivity

3. Procrastination and deadline evasion

4. Increased distractions during study/work time

5. Inability to focus deeply (no deep work)

6. Over-dependence on AI or influencers for solutions

Social and Behavioral Changes

1. Social isolation despite being “connected”

2. Reduced real-life social interaction skills

3. Difficulty maintaining conversations offline

4. Increased risk of cyberbullying (as victim or perpetrator)

5. Peer pressure to follow trends

6. Over-sexualization or inappropriate self-presentation

7. Narcissistic tendencies (obsession with selfies, followers)

8. Addictive behaviors mirroring substance addiction

9. Dishonest self-representation (catfishing, filtering)

10. Disinhibition (saying things online you wouldn’t in real life)

Lifestyle/Decision-Making Consequences

1. Impulse spending due to targeted ads

2. Buying unnecessary products to keep up with trends

3. Reduced engagement in hobbies or real-world activities

4. Choosing experiences for posting, not enjoyment

5. Fear of missing out (FOMO) dictates decisions

6. Decision paralysis due to content overload

7. Detachment from long-term goals

8. Romantic/relationship issues from online jealousy or comparisons

Digital Safety & Ethics Risks

1. Oversharing personal data

2. Vulnerability to scams/phishing

3. Addiction to online validation from strangers

4. Exposure to harmful or extremist content

5. Reduced awareness of misinformation or manipulation

6. Loss of digital privacy

7. Permanent digital footprint issues

Some people are making great efforts (Cal Newport's books are a great example) to get people off the internet and live their lives, which I, amongst many people, am very grateful for.

This Herculean task could only be taken up by a patient soul, which I admittedly am NOT. So this post, despite having a lengthy intro on why brain rot is bad, is not written for those who still have to REALISE the malicious effects of social media, but more for people who have already realised that and want to move on.

I also believe that it would not be very far-fetched to assume that if we curtailed our social media usage, we would be much better off than the average Joe. As students, we are constantly worried about our future. I think about it all the time when my screentime is out of control, if I’m slowly ending my life. Through this blog, I am trying my best to bring people from that point of relaisation to the point of freedom and a bit of mental peace (myself included).

So, what is brainrot really? We all have a general idea of what brainrot entails, but I think we as a generation are unaware of what it really is (in psychological terms)

According to Urban Dictionary (the voice of the people), brain rot is aptly defined as:

A term used to describe when you are thinking about something (a show, book, specific character, topic, etc.) so often to the point that it feels like it's your brain. This term can be used in negative contexts, but one common example is using it as an affectionate way to describe a current hyperfixation/interest

"I have Gravity Falls brainrot."

by FriendlyNeighborhoodFurry August 09, 2022

Or, something not as articulate:

Brainrot

When someone has a crippling addiction to low effort content, lobotomized, likely grew up on cocomelon

"Do you have brain rot?"I have skibidi rizz dop dop yess yes"

by TheRealJohnnyAppleSeed October 24, 2023

And then let's parallel that to a definition of brainrot from a psychological perspective:

Brainrot, as defined by the Newport Institute, is the state of mental fogginess and cognitive decline that results from excessive screen engagement. Hours of scrolling through the internet and consuming massive amounts of meaningless content, often while multitasking, can overstimulate the brain.

This definition was interesting because it immediately points out how Gen Z and Gen Alpha ignore that this state of mind is caused by screen addiction. The definitions on Urban Dictionary ( a website whose whole point is to be a dictionary written by the people on the internet as culture develops ) especially in this context are an invaluable source of information because they capture how the people being affected (in this context i.e young children on the internet) feel about the phenomenon (i.e brainrot) they are experiencing.

So now that we know what brain rot does to us and our brain, let's see how we can get out of it TODAY.

Set a limit on how much social media you use:

I know that most of us have already set time limits on our phones, and it is really easy to bypass them. This step does take a lot of self-restraint. You can use the built-in ScreenTime tracker on Apple products, or use this lovely app I found through a Drew Gooden video (amazing content creator) ScreenZen. The app allows you to access social media for a set amount of time every day (for me, it's 30 minutes) in small sessions. It allows me to open Instagram only for 6 minutes at a time, 5 times in one day. This got my screen time on Instagram down from 2 hours a day to 30 minutes a day, and soon enough, I stopped opening the app altogether and eventually deleted it. Lovely!

How does this help long-term? I have seen three main things come out of this practice.

1. I use my phone way less: When I first deleted the app after using ScreenZen for a month, I used to pick up my phone, try to open Instgarm, realise its not there, put y phone down and do literally anything else off my phone wich was usally10x more productive than scrolling, and

2. I slept a WHOLE lot better: At night, I could either read, write in my journal, or go to sleep. These activities before bed made me ten times more relaxed, and I didn't need my sleep medicines as much.

3. This created an uninted effect: but it strengthened my relationships with my real friends and eventually cut off the ones that only existed through Instagram. Trust me, to feel these effects, you will have to give up Instagram. If they're your real friend, they have your number and they can text you (and vice versa)

Touch grass:

Literally, go outside. Engage in ANY physical activity. Go out for a walk. You can easily detox your mind from constant stimulation. Go out on the walks for a week or two with headphones in. Listen to music, podcasts, or even call someone. And one day, when you feel extra brave, leave your headphones at home and observe. You can find beauty in concrete parks, too. Observe your usual route. Wonder why you always turn left at this intersection when your brain is occupied and go the other way. Look around and start noticing the other people who come to that park regularly. These techniques of observing the environment around you are often used to calm down people going through panic attacks. It really helps here, especially if you're always thinking or multitasking! Start writing your thoughts down instead of ranting to your friends over text. Write letters to loved ones!

How does this help long-term? Your phone, your social media apps, and your digital presence do not seem as important anymore. Not only have you protected your body against the dangers of social media addiction, but you have also freed up an insane amount of time to explore other hobbies or step up your game in the activities you are already a part of.

I understand that none of this information is new or unheard of. If you’re here, you are probably trying to make things better for yourself, and that is commendable. To celebrate that, I have made some PDF printables that can help guide you through this process.

Love,

Vanta <3