We're syncing, not sinking

Being chronically online doesn't mean you have brain rot. Stay logged in, move with the times and leave haters behind

- Christalle Fernandes

In the weeks leading up to the end of 2024, dictionary companies in the US and UK scurried to crown their Word of The Year. They considered delulu, brat, manifest, demure, enshittification, and romantasy. One term that was on every list: Brain rot. The term indicated that young people were so online, so much of the time, consuming so much mediocre content that their brains had literally started to decompose.

OMG, dictionary folks. Stop hating on young people, and stop with the self-righteous fears. Being online 24/7 isn’t a bug, it’s a feature of modern life. Sure, we’re layers deep into the internet, but that’s exactly where new ideas are being born, where people are doing exciting things, where we go to see the world and to escape from it.