Brainrot is a phenomenon that has magnetised the internet and our youth. The word is an internet slang, referring to social media content that is simplistic, meaningless and all-around useless.
But this doesn’t just happen on its own, when individuals continually scroll, which is referred to as “doomscrolling”, and consume copious amounts of low-quality social media content. It takes a toll on the mind.
Despite some finding social media to be rather asinine, the appeal of these platforms is still just as attractive as ever. The pressure of maintaining a social life among one’s peers often puts today’s generation in a position where social media becomes inescapable.
The very act of doomscrolling for extended periods of time has taken “brainrot” to a whole new level. From incomprehensible AI animation videos to mindless songs and phrases, it has simply taken over the internet.
You may have heard children walking around saying odd and meaningless things like “6” “7”, or “that’s cap’, a phrase which roughly means that something is not true. The way the younger generation speaks and perceives language has drastically changed, simply because of social media.
Nanyang Technological University and Singapore-based research agency Research Network published a paper in August 2025, which found that excessive social media use leads to lower mood levels and mental health. After surveying over 500 young people, they have found addiction-like behaviours.
tabla! wanted to find out if this was actually the case by speaking to a few young people. All of them agreed they had knowingly or unknowingly engaged in “brainrot”, doomscrolling or both. They echoed similar sentiments relating to their encounters on social media.
University student Aartika Ravi, 19, said: “I turn to scrolling for a distraction. I don’t do this intentionally, it is more of a habit that sneaks up on me”.
Similarly, S. Sakthimeena, 19, also said that scrolling on social media has become increasingly unconscious. She said: “It’s more of a habit than anything to fill gaps in the day.”
When asked how they felt after hours of mindless scrolling, it was unsurprising that they all felt terrible afterwards.
Subitsha Chokkalingam, 17, said she feels a sense of emptiness and fatigue. “The cognitive overload of scrolling causes me to feel drained. My mood also isn’t great. I think I just feel numb due to all the clutter of social media.”
Vidun Chandragupthan, 20, said: “I find it difficult to concentrate on the task I was doing after I finished scrolling”. He added that his attention span improved when he cut down the time spent on social media.
To get a clearer idea, tabla! also spoke to Dr Gomathinayagam Kandasami, senior consultant at the Institute of Mental Health.
He mentioned that the youth are at a possible greater risk of developing unhealthy social media habits. “Younger people are particularly vulnerable because of their still-developing brains, this can lead them to be more susceptible to the positive emotions evoked from the internet,”
He shares that using the internet or scrolling through social media can release neuro-chemicals like dopamine, which a person can become conditioned to. Excessive consumption of social media content, especially “brainrot”, has far-reaching consequences in everyday life.
“While there is no official diagnosis for social media addiction, it is more often considered under the umbrella of internet addiction. A person’s quality of life could be affected. Addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms from social media, causing angry outbursts and an inability to function normally,” said Dr Kandasami.
He advised caution when navigating the internet and emphasised the importance of setting limits for oneself when using social media. The entertaining content of “brainrot” and the conveniently designed mechanism of scrolling make social media a pool of obsession for many youths.
While we are unsure of how social media and the internet may impact an entire generation in the long run, there is no doubt that social media is a defining factor in the future of our ever-changing society.
