From the Editor: Why gen Z’s anti-brainrot agenda is not just another aesthetic trend

Bored? Time to grab your phone and start bed rotting. 

There’s Nara Smith making toothpaste again or that person who eats everything in one bite. But let’s ask ourselves one thing — are we really that bored? Has it really gotten bad enough for us to watch someone get ready for the 100th time?

But what if we start looking at boredom as the starting point of creativity instead of something we want to fix? No, a good rot day is not equal to a self-care day.

And yes, your parents are right. It is the damn phone.

Sure, there’s plenty to keep you busy on your phone: TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, audiobooks, Apple Music, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or that situationship who just won’t text you back. If you don’t want to scroll past endless reels, TikToks, or, God forbid, YouTube shorts anymore, you can always start online shopping and break the bank. How bad could it possibly get?

It starts with an hour of scrolling on your phone while lying in your bed, then suddenly the whole day has gone and your screen time is through the charts — and not the right kind.

But can we just start romanticizing and getting bored? Maybe being bored is the only way our mind can come up with something creative. And gen Z has caught on to this trend — faster than anyone else, of course.

Yes, maybe gen Z invented brainrot, but they’re also the first ones fighting against it. Whether it’s doing a digital reset, organizing your files or camera roll, scheduling screen breaks, reading a book, journaling, scrapbooking, curating a list of things that intentionally give you a dopamine boost, taking social and physical rest, or just simply finding a new hobby, there are ways to keep yourself busy that don’t come from your phone.

Research by Rappler found that brainrot has the power to turn heavy or overwhelming topics into snackable content, making audiences process complex feelings like tension, conflict, and anxiety indirectly through humour. 

Can you imagine living 48 hours without your phone? When was the last time you read a book for an entire day? Or touched grass for that matter? When was the last time you baked something or went on a walk without your headphones? When was the last time you actually slept without doomscrolling or “phone-in-bed time?” 

Go on colour walks, draw whatever you want without taking a photo of it after, go to a café and eat without telling five different people about it, and watch the sunset. Trust me, the thoughts you’re so scared of being alone with aren’t as bad as you think. Maybe the anti-rot agenda is just another aesthetic trend, but it might actually work.

And anti-rotting doesn’t mean you have to go on a 10-kilometre run or clean your room. It can be as simple and relaxing as going out to grab coffee, reading an article, people watching, going for a bike ride, or talking to your friends.

If your phone is the first thing you pick up after waking up, you need to hit the brakes.

Harvard Medical School found that women and people with a history of trauma are especially vulnerable to doomscrolling. This is because most violent media is more often than not focused on hurting women and children.

So not only does bed rotting and scrolling on your phone lead to worse mental well-being and life satisfaction, but it also gives people “popcorn brain” or the feeling of being overstimulated and your brain popping.

Scrolling is not living. Maybe it’s time we follow the right trends.