By Ijeoma Agbafo
Social media users spend hours viewing and consuming distressing and repetitive online content hence leading to brain rot. Brain rot can be described as mental exhaustion, reduced attention span and the decline in critical thinking ability.
Brain Rot is caused by excessive internet consumption and endless scrolling. An average young person scrolls through different social media platforms daily. Some people don’t even thank God for the gift of a new day before reaching for their phones to open TikTok.
Even I am a victim of doomscrolling, I move between different apps daily. I start with TikTok then head on to Instagram when I’m tired of doomscrolling. If I get tired of Instagram because it’s boring, I’d go to Pinterest or even YouTube, spending hours online without even realizing.
Gone are the days of reading culture, where people spent hours reading novels and books not just to keep themselves entertained but to improve their vocabulary. I remember the days I’d read newspapers and magazines to stay informed about what was happening around the world.
Now attention spans are shorter than ever, thousands of young people struggle to stay for a long period without reaching for their phone. When they aren’t with their phones, they feel weird and awkward.
Reading an article or books seems like a chore to many social media users, when they’d rather be on their phone ‘doomscrolling’. People would rather spend time on social media than read books.
While social media remains an important source of information and entertainment, moderation may be the key to preventing doomscrolling from completely taking over everyday life.
