In December 2024, Oxford University Press awarded their word of the year to “brain rot.” Although we’re all familiar with phrases such as “TikTok time” and “rotting in bed,” there is a genuine fear behind these quips, one of generational intellectual decline as a result of overconsumption. Just because you can access everything at your fingertips doesn’t mean you should.
On average, Gen Z spend six hours a day online. While some of this is unavoidable – for example, taking lecture notes, checking Google Maps, or messaging friends – it becomes dangerous when levels of online engagement start impacting your attention span, sleep, and mood. I love receiving the latest Paul Mescal-Daisy Edgar Jones lore as much as the next Normal People fanatic, but even I can admit there are more fulfilling ways to spend your time than a parasocial relationship.
It will come as no surprise that the best alternative I can recommend is picking up a book. The advantages to reading in terms of intellectual stimulation and media literacy are well documented, but what is not mentioned enough is that getting lost in a story is fun. I find that setting a timer for 30 minutes saves me from fretting about what’s happening on the group chat or what’s being uploaded to Vinted.
Likewise, as convenient as news apps and notifications are, consider picking up a physical paper on your morning trip to Tesco Express. Rather than “I read an article” meaning “I saw a TikTok,” it can actually mean “I read an article!”
Other non-literary ways to spend your time instead include: meeting a friend for an in-person catch-up rather than messaging; finding a hobby such as crocheting or painting and letting your creativity run wild; doing some charity shopping rather than scrolling fast fashion websites; or go for a walk while listening to some music or a podcast to give your eyes a break from the screen.
This is not to say that screens are the root of all evil and should be avoided at all costs – rather, that it is important to take breaks from the digital world and, as they say, touch grass every now and then. Perhaps set up a timer for Instagram so you can still check reels, but for no more than an hour a day. There are apps you can install intended to aid focus while studying, but are just as suitable for helping you pay attention to other tasks, such as “Flora” or “Pomodoro Timer”. Additionally, you could turn on the focus setting on your phone to stop being constantly bombarded by notifications.
Despite the dopamine hit provided by a three second video about a stranger’s home renovation, a good night’s sleep and a completed to-do list will be much more valuable in helping you be more present.
Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash