In Delhi, Gen Z touches grass to counter brain rot

Youngsters in the Capital are putting their screens away and joining activity clubs to make real-world connections

- Sara Siddiqui

Screen fatigue has affected us all, but it's Gen Z, the digital natives born between 1997 and 2012, who are consciously doing something about it. They're touching grass—internet speak for going offline and taking in the world outside—to counter brain rot, an effect of excessive consumption of digital content. And this means a return to the basics: They're joining book clubs, heritage walks and communities and going on solo dates to log off.

The 23-year-old founders of community-focused book club, Delhi Reads, Molina Singh and Paridhi Puri, created the community to foster a free offline space for discussions about culture. Puri, a development finance professional, says people need an offline outlet to discuss their online lives too. "Our media landscape is so saturated that we are constantly told by the algorithm what books to read or TV shows or movies to watch. We are rapidly consuming but don't get the time to reflect on what we are reading or watching," Puri explains.