Imagine a world where the very thing that’s slowly eroding your focus is also the key to keeping you hooked. Interestingly, this isn’t the plot of a dystopian sci-fi movie; it is a real life phenomenon that goes by the name “brain rot”. For those just catching up, brain rot is Oxford Dictionary’s 2024 Word of the Year, and is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. It could also be something characterised as likely to lead to such deterioration”. 

Unlike regular memes, brain rot content acknowledges their sheer silly, unhinged and mindless nature. While this phenomenon sounds like something to be avoided at all costs, in this world dominated by Big Data algorithms and social media, brain rot is actually becoming quite the secret weapon. Why?