Brainrot - what exactly huh??

What exactly is Brain Rot??

Consuming a lot of Digital Media, especially unwanted, just-for-fun content we watch for entertainment, degrades our mental quality or value.

Now, this is bookish language.

But what actually is it? Why does it bring down our thinking quality and how exactly does it happen?

Let's take an example -

Every time you see a cringe video, a soap-cutting, an oddly satisfying video, the DJ gives you a dopamine shot(the feel-good chemical).

Now, this chemical shot was also available by reading a book, completing a project, finishing a long-ignored task. But your brain chose a shortcut. A 10- to 15-second video, and you get to feel so goooood...... why invest 3 hrs in it, huh??

Now every time you need a dopamine shot, you would approach it- of course- the easier way rather than the hard way.

You start doing it daily, and life feels heavenly.

Here comes dear brain's neuroplasticity superpower.
The brain starts building a pathway or road for things that you do daily. For example - doomscroll, of course. Meanwhile, the highway for deep thinking, memory retention, and patience gets overgrown with weeds because nobody is driving on it. Zero focus. A 1-hour lecture feels like hell.

Slowly, your attention span reduces cuz, aren't you used to seeing a video for just 15 sec rather than a podcast of 2 hrs.

Now, can you use it in your favor?
In exam times... flashcards, guys. Your attention span is 15 sec. Each flashcard takes 15 sec to read.
Read a card. Close it. Now write it.
If you can -> reward accumulated(don't reward then-and-there)
If you can't -> it's time for a fine (you do another extra flashcard)

Ever thought Brain Rot to be associated with the computer system?

The Bit Rot: An electric charge in a flash drive leaks, or a magnetic spot on a hard drive flips from a 1 to a 0. This microscopic damage is called Bit Rot. Suddenly, a critical system file gets corrupted, and when you try to boot up the computer, it crashes because it literally "forgot" how to start itself.

The Bloatware: Your RAM and storage get clogged with "bloatware" and ghost processes. The computer's processor is so busy managing useless background tasks that when you ask it to open a simple web browser, it lags, freezes, and overheats.

The Code Rot: There is an error in the code. The coder knows the fix. In too much of a hurry to fix it and see if its working. Forgets to clean the code *deadpan .... And now whoever reads the code, everything is going just above their head.

There is so much more to explore ...... Wanna share something? :)