Have you ever heard about brain rot lately? 

According to the Oxford University Press, brain rot is a suspected deterioration in a person's mental or intellectual condition, primarily seen as a result of excessive consumption of material (now primarily online content) that is considered to be trivial or is not challenging. This word was named Word of the Year 2024 by Oxford. Brain rot is a state of mental overload that often results from the amount of information consumed, especially in today's digital age. So, even mental conditions can be affected, and our intelligence can decrease because of consuming a lot of random content on social media. 

For instance, today there may be a lot of content about brain rot memes on social media platforms. This  trend is known to have started from the TikTok account @eZburger401, which created a meme called Tralalero Tralala, a shark that wears the shoes. Actually, that is so random, and we could not even imagine it before, right? How come a shark can wear the shoes? This absurd meme trend involves strange and funny images, such as showing AI-made animals combined with random objects or given human characteristics, adding silly and random narratives.

One of the main attractions of this meme is its absurd humor. Many people find pleasure in situations that seem ridiculous and exaggerated. In this case, memes can be used as a form of escape in the real world or as an entertainer amid the increasing pressures of life. Many people are looking for ways to distract themselves for a moment from everyday problems. But the frequency of watching this kind of content is certainly not good for our mental state and brain. 

According to sciencefocus.com, a survey conducted by researchers found that many teenagers who are addicted to watching short videos can have a bad impact on their brains. Such problems include difficulty detaching from the video and a tendency to excessive social comparison when watching it. In addition, it can also make us lazy and less productive. Ultimately, while brain rot memes may provide a momentary escape and laughter, the long-term effects of excessive consumption can be detrimental to mental health and overall well-being.

Moreover, the cultural impact of brain rot memes does not only affect individuals mental health. Humorous and silly content, such as brain rot memes, may reflect broader societal trends, where people tend to seek instant gratification and engage with superficial content. With our attention spans getting shorter and the need for quick entertainment increasing, the quality of information we consume may also decrease. This can affect our ability to think critically and understand more complex ideas.

Furthermore, the weirdness of these memes can be a snapshot of our social condition, showing how strange modern life is and the challenges we face in a digital world full of noise. Besides making us laugh and entertained, these memes also invite us to think about our consumption habits and how they impact our brain health.

References:

• https://www.sciencefocus.com/comment/tiktok-braintot-psychologist-explains

• https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/

• https://www.rri.co.id/daerah/1462157/brain-rot-istilah-lucu-pengguna-media-sosial