How Gen Z is fighting back against digital brain rot
From analog hobbies to tech curfews, these Gen Zers are experimenting with science-backed ways to help their brains feel a little less foggy.
“You’re addicted to cheap dopamine and it’s killing your motivation,” Berlin-based TikTok creator Tiziana Bucec said in a May video. The video—which has over 2.9 million views—is a part of the nineteen-year-old’s anti-brain rot series, dedicated to sharing tips on how to take back your brain. “Maybe today, do one thing that gives your brain a delayed reward—go for a walk, write something or clean your space.”
Bucec is one of a growing trend of Gen Z influencers looking to combat "brain rot"—a perceived mental deterioration that comes from constant scrolling.
Gen Z is the second largest generation with over 70 million teens and twentysomethings born between 1997 and 2012.
Encompassing both adults who remember the heyday of Tumblr and Vine, and teenagers whose vernacular includes Skibidi Toilet and 6-7, the generation has been molded by technology. While the internet references they use may vary, young people online say their minds are feeling the effects of doomscrolling. For a generation thrust into digital-only learning during their high school or college years, this cohort has a unique relationship to the online world.
(The surprising way doomscrolling rewires your brain.)
The average American Gen Z spends over six hours a day scrolling on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Ironically, the very apps that invite endless scrolling and cause harm to the brain, are now prompting young people to better look after their minds.
Experts warn that young adults may be experiencing symptoms of accelerated brain aging as a result of excessive social media consumption.
Here’s what the science says about the impact of brain rot on young minds and how Gen Z is fighting back.
Are Gen Z brains aging faster?
As we increase our use of digital platforms and social media, the brain begins to crave the dopamine hits it gets from the vast amount of new information being served to us.
“Brain rot is not really rotting our brains,” says Earl Miller, a cognitive neuroscientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It’s constantly creating an environment that our brains are not equipped to deal with—that's the real problem. We’re single-minded creatures and when all this information is coming at us, we want to consume everything and it’s hard to turn off that desire.”
While anyone with access to the internet can suffer from brain rot, Gen Z is particularly predisposed to this ailment having grown up with unparalleled access to technology. According to a 2024 Pew Research study, adults aged 18-29 are more dependent on their smartphones than any other age group.
Brain rot has been linked to cognitive decline in younger generations and a 2025 study shows excessive use of AI and social media can cause lower recall and retention, reduced brain function, and memory loss. A recent review of 71 studies published by the American Psychological Association found that excessive short form video consumption is directly associated with diminished cognitive functions.
“We know that frequent use of technology can change the brain and that it can disrupt cognitive functioning,” says Amanda Elton, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida. “But what does it mean to have cognitive decline during a time period when your brain is still actually developing and maturing?”
The term cognitive decline is typically used to describe aging populations. However, Gen Z’s brains are still in a stage of growth, and Elton says the phrase “accelerated brain aging” may be a more accurate descriptor for the symptoms of brain rot.
As you grow older, your chronological age doesn’t always match up with your brain’s biological age. The organs in the body age at different paces depending on a variety of factors including genetic makeup, geographic location and lifestyle choices. Simply put, having an older biological brain is associated with worse health outcomes later down the line.
Regardless of the terminology, one thing is for certain—Gen Z isn’t taking brain rot lying down.
How Gen Z is fighting for their brain health
Even the chronically online are encouraging their followers to take action against brain rot. TikTok has been flooded with mind maintenance videos, amassing thousands of views for their cognitive health advice and anti-brain rot tutorials.
TikTok creator Elizabeth Jean devises a bespoke monthly "curriculum" for herself—reminiscent of a college syllabus—with books she plans to read, classes she aims to enroll in, and recipes she pledges to perfect. Though Jean is a millennial, her TikToks have resonated with a Gen Z audience looking for ways to combat brain rot. The hashtag ‘curriculum’ now boasts over 90,000 videos posted by people following her monthly guides or creating their own.
One TikTok trend emboldens viewers to hang up their smartphones when they get home, in a nod to old-fashioned landlines. Another recommends crafting dopamine menus with offline activities such as going for a long walk or trying meditation.
Digital detox tools are also on the rise—from Brick, which blocks distracting apps, to the cozy, gamified Focus Friend. Using technology to wean off of social media may seem counterintuitive, but research shows that regulating screen time and curating the types of digital content you consume is linked to improved cognitive health.
A study published in Behavioral Sciences found that young adults reported feeling clear headed, less stressed and more productive after doing a two week social media detox.
(Here’s what happens to your brain when you take a break from social media.)
Washington, D.C.’s first phone-free restaurant Hush Harbor has been trending for their tech-less atmosphere. When customers arrive, they drop their devices into locked bags before grabbing a drink at the bar.
“With Gen Z, the phone is going to eat first,” says Rock Harper, chef and owner of Hush Harbor. “There's none of that here, you eat first or you share with your table mate.” Without phones as a constant distraction, Harper says the high-top tables at Hush Harbor are brimming with Cards Against Humanity, Solitaire and even Monopoly.
The restaurant is just one of many tech-free spaces popping up around the world. The Offline Club hosts unplugged events across Europe, while Bistecca in Sydney asks diners to seal their phones in lockboxes so they can truly be present.
The cognitive benefits to time spent on and off the grid
Gen Z's unplugged movement is gaining traction, and research is beginning to reveal how off-screen alternatives affects the brain.
“One of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is by engaging socially with people,” says Miller. “Having another level of social engagement above and beyond your family and the immediate people you live with is very important.”
Your nightly scroll through TikTok and Instagram reels while simultaneously watching a show on TV could also take a cognitive toll, Miller warns. The longer the brain spends trying to reconfigure itself to each task, the greater the margin of error and the more mistakes the brain makes. As a result, your critical thinking skills and your memory can decline, says Miller.
Recent studies show that different forms of mental activity—like playing games—can improve the function of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that manages thinking, problem-solving and concentration.
Investing time in offline activities such as reading a book, listening to music, or writing in a journal is linked to increased cognitive flexibility and improved computational thinking skills.
“You can actually boost your cognitive skills by learning new techniques that involve training your brain to pay attention better,” says Gary Small, professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioral health at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Goal setting and mapping out a mini curriculum—like Jean—is another way to strengthen connections in the mind and keep the brain sharp, says Miller. “Setting goals at the beginning of the month is a great way to create healthy networks in your brain, unlike passively entertaining yourself on your phone.”
Finally, experts recommend scheduling intentional social media breaks and even setting a timer to remind you to step away from your device even for a short while.
“Taking time offline is important,” says Small. “What I know about the brain is the sooner you get started on protecting your brain health, the better off you are.”
