Escaping the Brainrot: A Survival Guide

When I say something extremely chronically online out loud, like singing the Reyansh College of Hotel Management song or mimicking the cat that goes “wiwiwi”, I can almost always count on my roommate to chime in. This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s the result of hours spent sitting next to each other, doomscrolling on Instagram.

The other day, a Chinese account we used to see all the time popped up on my roommate’s feed. It had a distinct song and a specific reel format, but we hadn’t come across it in weeks. Logically, we should have forgotten about it. And yet, the moment it played, something inside us clicked, like sleeper agents being activated. I made a joke about it, something about “so-called free thinkers when…,” but honestly? I don’t think it’s a joke anymore.

This is becoming a real problem. Being extremely online is rewiring our brains. Have you noticed your inability to focus on anything for more than 30 seconds? That’s because our brains have been trained to expect constant, bite-sized entertainment. 30 seconds of amusement, then on to the next. Sitting with something longer feels unnatural now. Isn’t that kind of depressing? I used to be able to read 400-page books in one sitting. Now, I’m lucky if I can finish one in a week—all because of ‘Internet Brainrot’.

The Symptoms Of Being Chronically Online

The first sign that you might be infected is your vocabulary. Do you find yourself saying “it’s giving,” “you ate,” or referencing a moronic but hilarious reel ten times a day? Like the chill guy one, or Ganji Chudail. Do you find yourself over-analyzing real-life discourse like it’s a Twitter argument? Do you think in terms of TikTok aesthetics and categories, like “main character” or “villain arc”? Congrats, your brain is severely rotten. There is no cure.

And since we’re on the topic of vocabulary, I think it’s worth acknowledging the origins of a lot of the internet slang we use every day. Many of the phrases we mindlessly throw around, “slay,” “period,” “ate,” “bussin’”, come from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), but they’re often used without context or understanding of their origins. The internet loves to pick up and discard language trends like fast fashion, but misusing AAVE to the point where it loses meaning turns online spaces into something more performative than authentic.

Now, back to the symptoms. Another clear sign you’re infected is a shortened attention span. Do you struggle to sit through long video essays? Gone are the days when I could watch a two-hour breakdown of an obscure indie game called Lila. Now, unless I’m in the grips of a hyperfixation, even a 10-minute video feels like a chore. I can’t focus on long articles, I can’t do my work without a podcast or music playing, and I can’t even eat without The Office running in the background. This is what I’ve become. I can doomscroll for hours, but I can’t sit through a 45-minute lecture. 

The last symptom is ‘Emotional Exhaustion from Overconsumption’. Maybe you, like many others, made the horrible decision to join Twitter or Tumblr years ago, and now you get second-hand stress from internet fights you’re not even involved in. Or maybe you watch a reel about war and death, then scroll only to be hit by a fluffy cat video immediately after, and the whiplash is exhausting. Being online these days is mentally draining, but you can’t stop. As I said, there is no cure.

But… that’s not entirely true. If you had ironclad self-discipline, you could quit cold turkey, go on an Internet detox, and call it a cure. But let’s be honest, that’s not realistic for most of us. So instead, the best we can do is learn to manage the addiction.

A Guide to curing the brainrot (Without Quitting the Internet)

1. The Art of Intentional Scrolling: The key is to be mindful of when and why you’re online and curate your internet space accordingly. Mute accounts that stress you out, block the ones that piss you off and stop engaging with content that triggers you. The algorithm thrives on outrage, so don’t feed it. Instead, try to create a peaceful, enjoyable space for yourself online.

2. Offline Hobbies as a Detox: Find activities that don’t involve screens, like reading, journaling, or hitting the gym. But if you struggle to stick to hobbies (we’ve all been there), try romanticising low-tech activities instead. Make curated playlists, handwrite letters to your friends, or go for a walk without your phone. The goal is to get comfortable being entertained by the real world again.

3. Training Your Brain to Focus Again: The attention span is like a muscle, you can rebuild it. Start by reading long-form content again, like books or deep-dive articles, anything that forces you to focus. Try watching a full movie without reaching for your phone. There are even apps designed to help improve focus if you need extra support. And if things get really bad, setting time limits on social media can help break the cycle.

So, internet brainrot. It’s real, but you don’t have to let it win. You’re not doomed to a life of endless scrolling and fractured attention. The internet is a tool, not a substitute for real life, and the more you reclaim your time and focus, the less control it has over you. And… if you made it to the end of this article without checking your phone, congrats. You’re already healing.

For more such articles, check out Her Campus at MUJ.

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