Anti-Brainrot: A Guide To Getting Your Intellectual Spark Back
May 8, 2026
Writer: Clara Kanter
Editor: Aidan Lane
Despite being at a renowned academic institution, surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable professors in their fields, with any book I could possibly want at my fingertips, and with wholly motivated peers, I’ve recently felt less driven, curious, and intellectually stimulated than ever.
We’ve all heard the term 'brainrot,’ often in reference to TikTok videos of AI fruits or parasocial relationships with reality TV stars. Lately, I’ve genuinely felt like my brain is screaming at me to consume something worthwhile. I’ve long prided myself on my curiosity and urge for knowledge, and a goal of mine is to find the antidote to this rottage by reigniting my inquisitiveness. Here are the steps I’m following as part of my ‘anti-brainrot program:’
#1: Immerse yourself in intellectually stimulating digital media
Although it may sound counterintuitive, given how much of the brain-rot conversation centers on technology and screen time, I’m a firm believer that not all screen time is bad screen time. Finding genuinely interesting and thought-provoking TV shows, movies, and podcasts is a great way to get the wheels in your mind turning. Immerse yourself in worlds different from your own, psychoanalyze characters, or learn about that one obscure historical event you’ve been dying to know more about. Some media I’ve consumed lately that have done the trick for me are Adolescence, a 2025 Netflix mini-series, Good Will Hunting, and “The Philosophy of Love,” an episode from Victoria Hutchins’s podcast, “Soul Gum.”
Strategy #2: Pick up neglected forms/practices of physical media
As much as I am a firm believer in the benefits of digital media, in the process of trying to regain a sense of curiosity and creativity, I’ve found it helpful to pick up non-digital habits from childhood or the past that you’ve neglected as you’ve gotten older. For me, that was scrapbooking. As a young girl, I saved everything. I would make cards, stickers, photos, and brightly colored Post-it notes into a curated collection of mementos. Now, I do the same: receipts from first dates, photo-strip pictures, birthday cards — you name it — are all pasted neatly in my journal and are mine to turn to whenever I feel nostalgic. I love the feeling of having an analog representation of important moments in my life. This doesn’t have to be a full lifestyle transformation, just making an active effort, committing just 10 or 15 minutes of your day to something that once brought you joy and fulfillment.
Strategy #3: Embrace curiosity!
I’ve found that my increased use of AI and Google has severely diminished my curiosity — why ask questions if I can get an answer within seconds? But curiosity is what drives intellectual growth and creativity, and I’ve made it a goal to find little pockets everywhere to be curious about — because they truly are out there. Think of questions to ask your best friend, even if you think you know every last thing about them. Strike up conversations with strangers. Read the plaques on the benches. Take classes that interest you, not just to fulfill a credit requirement. I’ve practiced this in micro ways that I’ve already seen having an impact on the ‘rottage’ of my brain.
This all being said, ‘unrotting your brain’ is a lot easier said than done, and I don’t want it to sound like I’m coming from a place of superiority, because honestly, I spend much more time on TikTok than I should. I’m often found doomscrolling while an episode of Sex and the City floats in the background, and you can definitely find many a “summarize this” prompt in my ChatGPT history. It’s naive to think that in such a technology-dependent world, simply watching interesting films, scrapbooking, and asking baristas’ questions will immediately alter our relationship with our phones. But even just being aware of how you want to change that relationship is a step in the right direction.
