Brain Rot in the Age of Digital Speed What Happens When We No Longer Have Control Over Our Attention? Dr. Mustafa Al-Ghraoui – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Specialist

Technology is no longer something external to our lives. Instead, it has become present in almost every detail of our daily routines. Many people begin their day with their phones and end it with the same screen. In between, notifications, short videos, images, and an endless stream of information continue to appear.

The problem is not technology itself, but the transformation of its use from a conscious choice into an automatic behavior, to the point where a person may find themselves returning to their phone repeatedly even when there is no real need to do so.

In recent years, the term “brain rot” has become increasingly common to describe excessive immersion in repetitive and superficial digital content. It is not an official psychological diagnosis, nor does it mean that the brain is literally deteriorating or “rotting.” Rather, it reflects growing concern about the way we consume digital content.

The important question is not only: How many hours do we spend in front of a screen? The deeper question is: Do we still have control over our attention?

Attention is an important psychological resource that helps us learn, understand, make decisions, and build relationships. When we constantly switch between videos, notifications, and applications, activities that require concentration and patience may gradually become less appealing.

The problem does not arise from a single use, but from repetition. One video after another, one notification after another, one scroll after another — digital use can gradually become a habit that is difficult to stop.

The screen may also become a way to escape boredom, anxiety, or loneliness, rather than simply a tool for entertainment and knowledge. Therefore, the issue is not the phone alone, but the way we use it and our relationship with the content we consume every day.

This is not merely a technological issue. It is also a psychological, educational, and social issue. A child who grows up surrounded by constant digital stimulation needs an environment that helps develop other abilities such as patience, waiting, reading, real-world play, conversation, problem-solving, and learning how to tolerate boredom without immediately turning to a screen.

Adolescents also need to understand that their value is not measured by the number of likes or views they receive, and that real life does not operate at the same speed as digital platforms.

As for the family, it is not enough to simply tell a child, “Put the phone away.” A child needs an alternative. Sports, reading, play, conversation, family time, and hobbies are all alternatives that can help build a more balanced relationship with technology.

Most importantly, parents should become role models for balanced technology use. It is difficult to ask a child to give up their phone when they constantly see their parents using theirs.

We need digital education that teaches children and adolescents how to use technology consciously, how to verify information, understand the influence of algorithms, manage screen time, and recognize signs of compulsive use.

We also need to restore interest in long-form reading, writing, research, discussion, and activities that require time and effort, because these activities help train the mind to maintain focus instead of constantly seeking immediate rewards.

Educational and media institutions also share responsibility for raising awareness about healthy technology use. Technology companies, too, have a responsibility to provide tools that help users manage their time and reduce unnecessary notifications, particularly for children and adolescents.

From this perspective, we propose incorporating the topic of conscious technology use and the effects of repetitive digital content into psychological and educational awareness programs in schools, particularly for middle and secondary school students, through a four-session awareness program, with one session held each week.

The sessions could address the concept of “brain rot,” the potential impact of excessive exposure to fast-paced digital content on attention and concentration, and ways of using phones and social media more consciously. Practical activities could also be included to help students manage their screen time.

A seven-day challenge titled “Reclaim Your Attention” could also be implemented. Its aim would be to help students reduce automatic phone use while increasing reading, physical activity, and family and social interaction.

The purpose of this recommendation is not to prohibit technology or encourage people to distance themselves from it. Rather, it is to strengthen digital education and build a more balanced and conscious relationship between students and technology.

We do not always need major changes. We can begin with simple and gradual steps, such as:

Setting aside a daily period without a phone, avoiding phone use during meals, keeping the phone away before bedtime, reading every day even if only for a few pages, engaging in physical activity, spending time with family without devices, and setting specific times for using social media.

Before opening the phone, we can ask ourselves:

Do I really need it?
Am I looking for something specific?
Or am I opening it automatically?
How do I feel after using it?
Does this content add something meaningful to my life?
Or is it simply a way to escape boredom?

These simple questions can help us move from automatic use toward conscious use.

Talking about “brain rot” does not mean that technology is bad, nor does it mean that the solution is to return to the past. Technology has become part of our lives and will continue to evolve.

What we need is not to leave the digital world, but to learn how to live in it without losing our ability to choose.

The real problem is not owning a phone, but losing the ability to put it aside.

And the most dangerous thing we may lose is not merely time, but our ability to direct our attention by our own choice.

A person who cannot decide where to place their attention becomes more vulnerable to allowing the surrounding environment to make that decision for them.

Confronting “brain rot” is not a war against technology. It is a defense of the human being — of attention, of the ability to think, and of the right to choose what enters our minds and what deserves our time and our lives.