Brain Rot: When Your Mind Gets Trapped in Doomscrolling

"Just fifteen more minutes. After that, I promise to put the phone away."

Have you ever said something similar to yourself? The initial intention was just to watch a few videos or check the latest updates on social media. However, without realizing it, fifteen minutes turns into an hour. Even when we finally put the phone down, we often don't truly remember what we just watched.

Social media platforms have their own ways of keeping users engaged for long periods. In a matter of seconds, we can jump from a funny video to shocking news, then peek into someone else's life, read comments, and follow trending topics. Everything happens so fast, as if there is no opportunity for the mind to pause for a moment.

At a glance, this habit seems normal. After all, almost everyone does it. However, when the activity of scrolling through the screen starts to become difficult to control, there are impacts that deserve attention, especially regarding concentration, emotional management, and mental health. scrolling starts to become difficult to control, there are impacts that deserve attention, especially regarding concentration, emotional management, and mental health.

This phenomenon is often associated with the term brain rot. So, what exactly is brain rot, and why can the habit of doomscrolling be one of its triggers?

Brain Rot: When the Mind Consumes Too Much Content

The term brain rot literally means the decay of the brain. Although it sounds frightening, this term does not mean that a person's brain is physically decaying.

In an article published by the Psychology Knowledge Channel of Universitas Gadjah Mada on March 13, 2025, brain rot is described as a phenomenon related to the excessive consumption of low-quality digital content. The term describes concerns about the impact of this habit on a person's thinking ability and psychological condition.

Brain rot is not a medical diagnosis that automatically indicates brain damage. However, the term serves as a reminder that the habit of consuming information excessively can affect how a person uses their attention and time.

Imagine when someone is used to watching dozens of short videos in a short time. Each video offers something new, interesting, or shocking. As a result, activities that require longer attention spans, such as reading books, doing assignments, or listening to a lecturer's explanation, can feel much more boring.

This does not mean that everyone who frequently watches short videos necessarily experiences concentration problems. However, when the habit continues persistently to the point of disrupting daily activities, it is time to evaluate your social media usage patterns.

This issue is quite relevant for the younger generation, especially Generation Z, who grew up alongside the development of digital technology. Social media has become part of learning, communicating, seeking entertainment, and even building one's identity.

Unfortunately, the ease of accessing information is not always followed by the ability to determine when to stop.

Doomscrolling: Trapped in an Endless Scroll

One of the digital habits often associated with the brain rot phenomenon is doomscrolling.

Doomscrolling is the behavior of continuously searching for, reading, or browsing negative and worrying information through digital media, even though such information can cause emotional discomfort.

Have you ever opened social media to look for one piece of news, but ended up reading various other pieces of bad news? From natural disasters, conflicts, and economic problems to debates in the comment sections. Even though you feel anxious or tired, your fingers seem to keep wanting to scroll the screen to find out the next piece of information.

That is one depiction of doomscrolling.

In practice, the experience of using social media also forces a person to face mood swings that happen very quickly. You might just be laughing at a funny video, and a few seconds later, you feel sad due to a touching news story. Not long after that, content appears that triggers anger or worry.

These emotional shifts do not automatically damage the nervous system. However, constant exposure to information, especially negative content, can increase psychological burden and make a person feel overwhelmed.

Research by Satici and colleagues (2023) in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life discusses the relationship between doomscrolling and psychological distress, social media use, and individual well-being.

Meanwhile, research by Shabahang and colleagues (2024), which involved respondents from Iran and the United States, found a link between doomscrolling and existential anxiety, which is anxiety related to the future, the meaning of life, and the uncertainty of the world.

These findings show that the habit of consuming negative information excessively is not just a matter of wasted time, but is also related to a person's emotional state.

Why Is It So Hard to Stop Scrolling?

Have you ever felt that you were actually bored with social media, but your hands kept scrolling the screen?

One of the reasons relates to the design of the digital platform itself. Many applications use the infinite scrollfeature, which is a system that allows new content to keep appearing without the user having to change pages.

There is no final page to signal that the reading or watching activity is finished. As long as the screen is scrolled, the next content will always be available.

Furthermore, social media algorithms tend to display content based on the user's activity and interests. The more often someone interacts with a certain type of content, the greater the likelihood that similar content will reappear.

This makes it easy for users to lose track of time.

Psychologically, doomscrolling can also be triggered by a desire to gain certainty. When facing uncertain situations, a person might keep searching for the latest information in the hope of feeling calmer.

However, that search can turn into an exhausting cycle. The more negative information found, the greater the urge to look for the next development.

An article from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Indonesia published on January 15, 2026, also discusses the relationship between doomscrolling and mental health.

This condition serves as a reminder that knowing many things does not always mean we feel better. There are times when too much information just makes the mind feel more cluttered.

No Scrolling Day, Giving the Mind a Break

So, is the best solution to stop using social media entirely?

Certainly not necessarily.

Social media still has many benefits, ranging from facilitating communication, obtaining information, and developing creativity, to opening up educational and job opportunities.

The problem is not solely with the technology, but how we use it.

One simple approach that can be tried is a No Scrolling Day, which is setting aside one specific day to take a break from unnecessary social media scrolling activities.

For example, we choose Sunday as a no-scrolling day.

On that day, the use of social media just for aimless entertainment can be reduced or stopped temporarily. The time usually spent staring at a screen is diverted to other more meaningful activities.

There is no need to do complicated or expensive activities. Reading a book that has been long delayed, painting, tending to plants, cooking, taking a leisurely walk, exercising, or chatting with family can be options.

Even sitting and enjoying the afternoon atmosphere without constantly checking notifications can be a pleasant experience.

The goal of a No Scrolling Day is not to distance humans from technology, but to rebuild the awareness that we have control over our own time and attention.

However, this method is not a medical therapy proven to cure brain rot. Its benefits are better understood as a practical step to reduce excessive social media use and build more balanced digital habits.

If you are not yet able to stop for a full day, it is okay to start gradually. For example, set one to two hours without social media, turn off unimportant notifications, or avoid scrolling before bed.

The key is consistency, not perfection.

Learning to Control the Screen, Not Be Controlled by It

In the midst of a modern life that is increasingly connected to technology, avoiding social media entirely is certainly not an easy matter. Almost every day there is new information, new trends, and various interesting things appearing on the phone screen.

However, we still have the choice to determine which information deserves our attention.

Not all content must be watched. Not all news must be followed until late at night. Not all trends must be known right at that moment.

Sometimes, a simple decision to put the phone down is a form of self-care.

Managing social media usage also means learning to value time, maintaining mental health, and giving the mind space to rest from the heavy flow of information.

In the end, technology should help humans live better lives, not make humans lose control over their own habits.

So, when the urge to say, "Just fifteen more minutes," arises later, try asking yourself: do we really still need the next piece of information, or are we just not used to stopping?

Because life is not just about what keeps appearing on the screen. There are many valuable experiences waiting to be enjoyed in the real world.

So, do you still want to let your time be wasted just for doomscrolling?

Bibliography

Adam, P. (2026, January 15). Doomscrolling and its impact on mental health. Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia.

Nandiwardana, A. (2025, March 13). Brain rot, is the brain really experiencing decay? Psychology Knowledge Channel, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Satici, S. A., Gocet Tekin, E., Deniz, M. E., & Satici, B. (2023). Doomscrolling scale: Its association with personality traits, psychological distress, social media use, and wellbeing. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 18(2), 833–847. DOI: 10.1007/s11482-022-10110-7.

Shabahang, R., Hwang, H., Thomas, E. F., Aruguete, M. S., McCutcheon, L. E., Orosz, G., Hossein Khanzadeh, A. A., Mokhtari Chirani, B., & Zsila, Á. (2024). Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 15, 100438. DOI: 10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100438.

Syakira, N. R., Ifdil, I., & Khairati, A. (n.d.). Analysis of doomscrolling among students based on gender, age, and intensity of social media use. Journal of Counseling and Education.