“Run don’t walk—” scroll. “I’m literally obsessed—” Scroll.
We spend hours every day scrolling mindlessly, consuming video after video without thought. Cute animals, podcast clips, rage bait; all of it in an endless curated scroll, the next video always waiting for our attention. Candidly many of us have admitted we spend too much time on social media, anecdotally noting our decreased attention spans to friends who agree; They confide they can barely get through a longer video or article anymore. Everything needs to be spoon-fed to us. We want to get to the point, NOW. So we can move on to the next thing. And the next, and the next.
What’s to blame for these decreased attention spans, this loss of patience? I blame Brainrot.
“Brain rot” was the Oxford word of the year in 2024. It is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material content (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” In the years since, many have fallen victim to the clutches of brainrot, myself included.
This begs the question, how do we un-rot our brains after years of mindless media consumption?
My remedy of choice? Books.
Books as a Brainrot Antidote
Books force you to be patient, to pay attention, otherwise you might miss something. Readers are often rewarded with the payoff of a well-told story, giving us endless hours of enjoyment. Readers learn from books: we learn new vocabulary, new concepts, new perspectives. Book clubs are still an ever-popular way for people to connect and commune with one another. Not just stay-at-home moms or retirees, book clubs are run by countless celebrities. From curated picks by Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon to Dua Lipa and Kaia Gerber, books, and book clubs, are in.
According to Pew Research, 75% of American adults read one or more books (in any format) in 2025. A heartening statistic, considering the bleak conversation surrounding American literacy and reading habits. If you find yourself outside that 75%, it’s okay. Life is busy, especially these days when everything feels more expensive and many of us may feel like there’s always a higher priority than the book we’d like to read.
Why Should We Care About Reading Books?
A study from BYU suggests that reading can enhance cognitive performance and increase our social awareness, as well as our ability to comprehend others’ beliefs.
But what happens when books BECOME part of the brainrot?
Then we need to tread carefully.
Now, you may ask “How could books become brainrot, they’re books!”
I agree, books themselves are still a wonderful way to re-train our attention spans and continue learning new things, but only if we treat them that way.
You will not get the full benefit or the full experience of reading a book if you only read a summary of it, or if you skip everything except for the dialogue, or only half pay attention to the audiobook you’re listening to.
Reading Remedies
If this sounds like you or a reader you may know, my suggestion is: read short stories. Read them FULLY. Don’t skip descriptive scenes, don’t listen to them on 2X speed. These are under 100 pages. Often they’re 30 pages or less. Sit with them and read every word front to back. There are plenty of FANTASTIC short stories to choose from, and many of us still remember ones like The Lottery or the Box Social that have haunted us for years after reading them for school.
Also: read for yourself, not for others. If you’re a book-based content creator, I know this can get tricky. But allow yourself at least one story a month that’s just for you, not just content for others to consume. You can still take notes, find out what you like and dislike about it, and analyze the themes. But do it for your own enrichment, not for likes and views.
Final Thoughts
Reading is good. We’ve established this, but you do not need to only read the latest and greatest because that’s what’s on your FYP. I know we’re all prone to FOMO, but you don’t NEED to buy the newest book right out the gate, sight unseen. I am begging everyone to read a sample of each book before they spend any money on it. It will tell you if you’ll like the author’s writing style/voice, or if the book will actually hook you or not. Otherwise if you buy into the hype and purchase a book knowing nothing about it, you may unfortunately be wasting your money on a DNF.
Un-Rot Your Brain
Reading books may not be the cure-all for brain-rot, but it certainly won’t hurt to give it a try. Especially if we as readers are making an honest effort at really reading, not just skimming. Read widely, read as much and as often as you can. Any genre, any word count. Some books are main courses: filled with stunning prose, fully formed characters and a plot you’ll think about for weeks. Others are more like snacks: easy to read, not as deep, but still quite enjoyable. Both are good, and both have their places on our shelves and on our TBR lists.