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After almost 30 years (counting from the viral dancing baby) of people living, thinking, breathing, and speaking in memes, experts and even Internet users themselves are starting to see the effect it has on us. It turns out that meme culture is rotting our brains. At least that’s what kids these days are calling it. ‘Brain rot’ is the result of over-relying on memes and information on the Internet, to the point where we can’t think about anything else than memes or cultural phenomena and constantly reference them in our day-to-day conversations. This makes us less inclined to be creative and solve problems on our own, essentially making our minds decay.  

However, there’s no need to panic and give up your daily dose of memes just yet. We might have found a way around it. To keep your last brain cells alive and functioning, we present you with a list of intellectual memes from the Instagram page “not.not.reading” that are guaranteed to make you think beyond the surface. Scroll down to find them, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that made you contemplate the most.

While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with Jean M. Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future, and media psychologist Dr. Corey Emanuel, who kindly agreed to provide a few tips on how to preserve our brains while consuming social media.

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    #3

    Funny-Intellectual-Memes

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    Norm Gilmore
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would it be too petty to post this picture every time some pedant points this out?

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    Don’t worry, the previously mentioned ‘bain rot’ isn’t a scientific or medical term. The phrase is used to describe content of low value that has a negative side effect on its viewers, who often doomscroll or are chronically online. 

    The discussion about this phenomenon was kicked off by one person on TikTok who demonstrated the ‘brain rot’ effect in a video. While browsing through library books, they noticed a cover art, Tom Lea's “The Two Thousand Yard Stare," that they immediately recognized because of an internet meme and not for its historical or artistic importance.

    #5

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    Beau Weill
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The better part this is that 4 year olds and Backstreet Boys overlap so much

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    The painting portrays a shell-shocked WWII soldier, which is often used online to express being overwhelmed by internet content. Some users were surprised to discover the real origins of this image and feel weird seeing it outside their screens.

    One commenter even confessed that the moment they realized they had ‘brain rot’ was when they tried swiping a physical page like on a touch screen, leaving them embarrassed. 

    #7

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    Mimi M
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rorschach and Oedipal theories... Man, the junk 'science' that was once given so much credence.

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    #8

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    Brittania Kelli
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Porch pirates stole an Amazon package off my doorstep. It was cat litter. The next day the open box with cat litter was placed back on my doorstep. Guess my order didn't live up to their expectations.

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    The viral video started an intense discussion about how internet consumption changes our worldview. And many started worrying that social media overconsumption is really decaying our minds. Media psychologist Dr. Corey Emanuel says to Bored Panda that the speed at which we consume content may hinder our critical thinking. 

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    #10

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    BatPhace
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I got 99 problems and money would solve all 99 of them, including the one about needing therapy

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    “While memes can be a source of humor and/or entertainment, the speed in which we consume memes may undermine our critical thinking. Rather than inviting critical examination, memes often present simplified or biased viewpoints, which leaves little room for deeper analysis or reflection on the issues they depict," he says.

    #14

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    Mimi M
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ahhh - love this! My dark humor spot is getting tickled more than once in this post!

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    “The average social media user spends roughly 2.5 hours on social media each day. During this time, we are bombarded with a constant barrage of stimuli—images, videos, text, and notifications—each requiring different forms of mental engagement,” explains Dr. Emanuel.

    “Different regions of the brain are impacted by social media use. For instance, as we process a wide variety of content in a short time, it places a high demand on working memory. Social media encourages a great deal of multitasking, which taxes the brain's ability to sustain attention.”

    Memes can be entertaining and can create a shared language among friends,” agrees Jean M. Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. But for it not to affect us in a negative way, we have to use social media in a limited way instead of overconsuming it, says Twenge.

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    #19

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    Fembot
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Study whatever you want to study. You’ll find a way to make it work if it’s what you want to do. I know this idea is gettiing more and more unpopular with many countries having universities only accessible for the rich. But it’s how it should be. Don’t choose a field of study with money as your only drive. ETA clearly this doesn’t apply in the US but in many other countries an education (at the moment) does not set you up for a life of debt. Just to clarify

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    #21

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    Jaya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And cleaning out the vacuum cleaner, makes you the vacuum cleaner.

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    But she notes that it might be difficult to limit or branch out of our usual social media scrolling as algorithms are designed to deliver personalized content and keep people using them as long as possible. “Consider using an app that can help you limit your social media use, or look at meme posts your friends send you without signing up for a social media account,” she advises. “Or look at memes using a web browser instead of social media.”

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    #24

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    _drip_drip_ Report

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    chi-wei shen
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My favourite Kafka quote: "One idiot is one idiot, two idiots are two idiots, ten thousand idiots are a political party."

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    Dr. Emanuel says that it’s all about balance. “Internet users should foster a lifestyle that invites time away from social media and digital devices. Time offline should include moments with family and friends where all parties put their mobile devices away and on silent. Be present.”

    #25

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    David Paterson
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Something I've noticed. The bigger the "business ethics" book is, the more unethical the business is. So a business without an "ethics" book is a joy to behold.

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    #26

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    UnpopularPanda
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is next level but I actually hate sound and would rather read subtitles than listen to movies, I've watched I don't how many shows on mute. Sometimes I start reading comments on posts and can't relate to them only to then realize that the comments relate to something 'said' in the reel that had no subtitles

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    He continues by saying, “Internet users should regularly audit who they’re following and ensure they follow others who challenge their thinking to avoid confirmation bias. Read books and articles offline to curate a diverse group of sources for fact-checking and become diligent in spotting misinformation and disinformation,” he concludes.

    However, Twenge notes that these tips should apply to adults only, as kids under 15 should avoid social media, given the mental health situation of teens.

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    #32

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    Alex Ian
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Makes sense... you're familiar with a plethora of options on the music library but no one knows f* all about what jobs will be useful in 10 years.

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    #35

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    Jaya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Legend has it that this poor dude is still wondering what philosophy is.

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    #36

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    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "When we do speak, no one understands. When we do explain, still no one understands"

    Al Padilla
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you wear an obscure logo/saying/whatever, it's great when the rare person gets it. We used to give a tee shirt to students who rotated through our endocrine office: "Cogito, ergocalciferol." And, to early music concerts, I still wear a tee shirt that says "Spem in allium" with a picture of a garlic clove.

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    #41

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    LuLuBelle
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hmmm. I need to see if I can order Swedish Fish Oreos for my little store.

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    #43

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    Tucker Cahooter
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reminds me of a Tony Hancock sketch where he asks the librarian for all these weighty academic tomes so he can stand on them to get a potboiler novel from the top shelf

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    #44

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    #45

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    Unemployedneg Report

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    Christopher Crockett
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I prefer Léon Foucault. Pendulums are much easier for me to understand, and much more fun to watch.

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    #49

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    #50

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    CanadianDimes
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I read a peer reviewed academic paper recently in which one of the citations was (remember to cite) (or words to that effect). It got all the way through the whole reviewing process and no one noticed!

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    Note: this post originally had 78 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

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