Collapsing onto their bed after a stressful school day at Lynbrook, a student absentmindedly opens their phone. From one Instagram reel to another, the clock suddenly strikes 3 a.m., but all they can remember are the Costco guys bringing the BOOM! and propaganda to buy “property in Egypt.” Once again, they have scrolled to their DOOM! — their senses bombarded by vivid colors and exotic noise, overstimulated by the onslaught of brain rot.
This instance reflects a widespread generational epidemic: doomscrolling. The incessant need to scroll and overstimulate the mind has grown amid the rise in social media and technology use. Generation Z and Generation Alpha, in particular, have developed habits that reinforce this digital overload, leading to lasting psychological effects. In other words, “we’re cooked.”
Brain rot can be found on almost every social media platform, particularly Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. While generally nonsensical, this type of content is highly addictive. In a survey given to staff and students, 75.2 percent, or 203 of 270 Lynbrook respondents, reported that they sometimes or often scroll through social media or watch videos when they feel bored.
“Especially when I’m stressed and don’t have work, I use social media,” senior Leo Song said. “Social media engages me in a way where I don’t have to think about the stress.”
In the short term, interacting with online content releases dopamine, temporarily boosting a user’s mood. However, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, doomscrolling has also been shown to be associated with long-term symptoms of anxiety and depression. Beyond just consuming mindless content, doomscrolling also exposes users to a constant stream of distressing news. Even content that appears to be humorous is often satire that hints at darker realities.
Among younger generations, addiction to social media has exacerbated a fear of missing out — not just on news, but on trends, slang and viral content. The fear of falling behind on online trends and content can be a contributing factor in doomscrolling, usually accompanied by anxiety.
Cycles of doomscrolling have fueled the constant need to stimulate the mind, leading to a state of perpetual overstimulation. During this digital age, external factors contributing to overstimulation include excessive use of social media, music and screens. The short bursts of dopamine from rapid content consumption create a dependency on stimulation — one that makes it increasingly difficult for users to focus without distractions.
The rise of short-form videos — Instagram reels, TikToks and YouTube shorts — has intensified this phenomenon. These videos are fast-paced, visually striking and contain eye-catching visuals and loud noises. With such content seemingly everywhere, they perpetuate the need to be incessantly interconnected on the internet. Short-form videos follow an algorithm, feeding viewers the content they seek, the element that keeps one “glued” to their screens.
Some videos with text have “Subway Surfers” or “Minecraft” playing in the background, leveraging high-speed visuals to hold viewers’ attention amid a generation of increasingly shorter attention spans. This creates a dependency on constant stimulation — an inability to stay marginally capable of consuming material in text form — without unnecessary stimulation.
“When I’m scrolling, I feel overstimulated just because the content is so short, which makes me consume so much of it,” junior Yuyao Wen said. “And in the end, honestly, I don’t remember half of what I watched.”
Overstimulation can also come in other forms, such as the dependency on music to do daily tasks. Some listeners on Spotify, the largest global music streaming platform, have over 100,000 minutes of listening per year — nearly one-fifth of their waking hours. For these groups of people, listening to music has become more than just entertainment; it’s a necessity. Similarly, white noise and other background sounds provide constant auditory stimulation, reinforcing the brain’s craving for input.
“I feel like people nowadays are much more uncomfortable being alone and they need someone to talk to, or at least someone to listen to all the time, and music provides that for them,” junior Patrick Krupa said.
For older generations, brain rot content is often perceived as unserious and disposable. However, for younger teens whose brains are still developing, early exposure to brain rot content poses a risk to their development and highlights the unintended consequences of causal acts of relaxing on social media.
Additionally, students may struggle to complete academic tasks, such as writing essays or taking tests, without the added stimulation of screens and music. Concentration is crucial to doing well in school, and being exposed to social media for much of one’s waking hours leads to a decrease in attention span.
The addiction to constant stimulation poses challenges outside of school, affecting interpersonal relationships for instance. Before the widespread use of online communication, people relied mostly on in-person interactions, in stark contrast with the way modern technology is integrated into nearly every aspect of daily life. Thus, while personal relationships are essential for social and emotional well-being, reliance on digital engagement can erode real-world connections. Regardless of the future development of online content, as technology becomes further ingrained in daily life, our ability to connect or disconnect will define our relationship with it.
“Over-dependency on stimulation is an important issue that you need to address, especially in this society, no matter what region of this country we’re in,” English teacher Evyenia Ene said. “It’s the adults, ultimately, who have to be aware, and the youth coming up.”