Brain Rot: How It Affects Us and How I Beat It to Enjoy Books More

Let's see if what I'm about to tell you sounds familiar: You pick up that book you've been dying to read, get comfortable... and two pages in, you're already looking at your phone. Or maybe you don't even open it, because the very idea of concentrating for hours seems like an impossible task.

Yes, it sounds familiar, I'm sure, that's why you've nodded your head even if you don't know it... But don't worry, you're not alone. You may be experiencing something that has been dubbed «Brain Rot« or "brain rot."

Don't be scared by the dramatic name. Although it sounds like something from a zombie movie, it's a very real term (so much so that it was Oxford's word of the year 2024!) which describes that feeling of having your mind a little… rusty? It is defined as the "alleged deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially as a result of excessive consumption of online content considered trivial or unchallenging".

Come on, what happens when we spend too much time doing scroll infinite for short videos, memes and fragmented news.

What exactly is brain rot and why should we care?

Think of your brain like a muscle. If you only do quick, easy exercises, it gets used to them and loses strength for more demanding tasks. Brain rot works in a similar way. It bombards us with constant stimuli and instant rewards (that dopamine rush when you see a notification!), and little by little, our ability to concentrate goes down the drain.

The symptoms are quite common in this digital age:

• Does it cost you horrors? focus on something more than ten minutes?
• Do you often feel a kind of "brain fog"?
• Do you get anxious sIf you don't have your cell phone nearby?
• Have you lost interest in hobbies? that you used to love, like reading or watching a whole movie without looking at your phone?
• Do you jump from one app to another? without really knowing what you were looking for?
• Do you forget things? more often?
• Are you bored to death? if you don't have something to watch or listen to right now?

If you identify with several of these points, welcome to the club. Note: This isn't a medical diagnosis, but it is a sign that our digital lifestyle is taking its toll to our ability to pay attention and enjoy deeper activities, such as reading.

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💡 KEY TIP

The key is not to eliminate all distractions, but regain control of your attention.

The Silent Book Thief: How Brain Rot Sabotages Reading

This is where things get personal for book lovers (or those of us who aspire to be). Reading a book requires exactly what brain damage takes away from us: sustained attention, concentration and patience.

1. Goodbye, attention span: Our brain, accustomed to the speed of TikTok or Instagram, becomes impatient with the slow pace of a bookIt's like trying to savor a gourmet meal after gorging on fast food for weeks.
2. Superficial reading: We get used to scanning headlines and watching 15-second videos. When we pick up a book, we tend to do the same: skim, without going into depth, missing the nuances and richness of the story or plot.
3. The reward circuit, hacked: The quick dopamine rush of social media makes the slower, deeper reward of finishing a chapter or an entire book seem… less appealing. Why make the effort when I can have a microdose of pleasure right now with just a swipe?
4. Mental overload: So much fragmented information it depletes our working memoryWe come to reading already tired, without the mental space to process complex plots or new ideas.

My personal battle against "Brain Rot"

I have to confess: I fell right into it. I've spoken about it several times in the Reader FocusI wasn't a big reader until recently, but I do remember when I was years ago, my immersion in books was much greater. I could immerse myself in other worlds for hours.

But for some time now, it was really hard for me. I started a book with excitement, but my mind wandered, my fingers unconsciously searching for my phone.I felt a constant restlessness, an inability to disconnect from the digital noise and connect with the calm of reading.

It frustrated me immensely. Where had that voracious reader gone? That's when I started to get interested in attention, dopamine fasts and all this stuff I've been writing about lately.

At first, it sounded like internet hype, but when I read about the symptoms and how it affected concentration... bingo! It was me. The unofficial diagnosis was clear: My brain had become too accustomed to digital junk food..

Recovering the Joy of Reading: Strategies That Worked for Me (and Can Work for You)

The good news is that the brain is incredibly flexible. We can retrain it! It wasn't easy, nor quick, but I decided to take matters into my own hands. These are the strategies that, based on what I read and my own experience, helped me regain my reading ability:

1. Awareness and acceptance: The first thing was admitting the problem. Recognizing that my relationship with technology was harming me was the most important step. I couldn't go on like this!
2. Digital Detox (My Way): Check out the Dopamine Detox article I didn't become a digital hermit, but I did set boundaries. I started with something simple: keep my phone out of the bedroom at night and don't look at it as soon as I wake up. That alone made a difference! I also designated "phone-free zones," like the table during meals.
3. Micro-doses of deep reading: I didn't try to read "War and Peace" in one sitting. I started with long articles that interested me, then short stories, and gradually increased the time. The key was read without interruptions. Mobile silent and far away. It was hard at first, but it kept holding up better and better!
4. Mindfulness and conscious pauses: I've been meditating for a long time, but I never realized how much it would help me in this case. I incorporated small breaks throughout the day to simply breathe and do nothing. I also tried to practice mindfulness when reading, focusing on the words and the sensations the story evoked in me.
5. Goodbye notifications (or almost): I disabled all non-essential notifications. It's incredible how many interruptions I've eliminated! Anything that isn't particularly urgent is out. Mute stupid groups and leave only calls or texts.
6. Quality over quantity: I became more selective with online content. I tried to prioritize documentaries, interesting podcasts, or well-written articles instead of the scroll Endless. I'd gotten to the point where I even struggled to stay focused on learning videos longer than 15 minutes. Now I only watch these.
7. Rediscover offline pleasures: I actively sought out hobbies that didn't involve screens, and it showed: Hiking, walking, cooking, chatting with friends (in person!). This helped my brain remember that there's life (and pleasure) beyond the digital world.

The Reader's Renaissance: Enjoying Books Again

Little by littleI began to notice the change. The restlessness decreased. I could concentrate for longer periods of time.And most importantly, I felt that magic of opening a book again, that ability to immerse myself in the story and forget about the world for longer periods of time.

Reading was no longer a struggle, but a pleasure, a refuge. I once again enjoyed depth, complex characters, and thought-provoking ideas. I realized that Reading is not just a hobby, it is a fantastic workout for the mind., an antidote to the superficiality of brain rot.

If you feel trapped in a spiral of brain rot, don't despair. Our brain can relearnStart slowly, be patient with yourself, and celebrate each small victory (like reading a whole chapter without looking at your phone!). Recovering the joy of reading and preserving our attention span in this hyper-connected world is possible, and I assure you it's worth the effort. Cheer up, future reader (or re-reader)!