Brain rot facts for kids

In Internet culture, brain rot is a term people use to describe the negative effects of spending too much time watching easy, low-quality videos and content online. It often refers to short videos that don't make you think much. The term can also describe the low-quality online content itself. It suggests that too much digital media, especially short videos and doomscrolling, might affect a person's mental well-being.

What is Brain Rot?

The term "brain rot" describes a supposed decline in a person's thinking or intellectual state. This is often seen as a result of consuming too much online content that is considered trivial or not challenging. It's like your brain gets "rotted" from not being used enough on harder tasks.

Where Did the Term Come From?

The idea of "brain rot" isn't new. The first recorded use was in 1854 by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden. He used it to criticize what he saw as a decline in how people valued complex ideas. He compared it to the "potato rot" that affected crops in Europe in the 1840s.

The term started appearing online around 2007 on Twitter. People used it to describe things like dating game shows and spending too much time online. Its popularity grew a lot around 2020, especially on Discord, where it became a popular Internet meme.

As of 2024, "brain rot" is often used to talk about the digital habits of Generation Alpha. Critics use it to say that this generation is "too deeply involved in online culture." It's also linked to people whose vocabulary mostly consists of Internet slang. From 2023 to 2024, Oxford University Press reported that the term's use increased by 230%. Experts believe the term will likely stay popular because it's easy to remember and relevant.

Common "Brain Rot" Slang

The term is often connected with slang and trends popular among young social media users. Some examples include:

• "skibidi" (from the Skibidi Toilet YouTube series)
• "rizz" (meaning charm or charisma)
• "fanum tax" (meaning to take a portion of someone's food)
• "sigma" (referring to a strong, independent person)
• "delulu" (a shorter way of saying "delusional")

How "Brain Rot" Impacts Culture

In 2024, "brain rot" was chosen as the Oxford Word of the Year. This shows how important the term has become in describing modern digital life.

In Australia, a senator named Fatima Payman made news when she gave a speech in parliament using slang popular with younger generations. She said she wanted to speak to Generations Z and Alpha in a way they understood. Using terms like "goated" and "aura," she criticized plans to ban social media for kids under 14. Many people saw her speech as an example of "brain rot" appearing outside of just online spaces.

Even Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, used the term in 2025. He encouraged people to use social media less and avoid what he called "putrefazione cerebrale" (which means "brain rot" in Italian).

See also

In Spanish: Podredumbre mental para niños

• AI slop
• Algospeak
• Digital media use and mental health
• Elsagate
• Enshittification
• Glossary of Generation Z slang
• Italian brainrot
• Low culture
• Shitposting
• Sludge content