'Brain Rot' Among University Students in the Digital Age: A Phenomenological Study

This study uses a phenomenological approach to explore how university students perceive and experience "brain rot," a digital-age phenomenon marked by cognitive decline, attention deficits, and emotional desensitization from prolonged exposure to low-quality digital content.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 university students selected through maximum variation sampling, and data were analyzed using Moustakas' phenomenological method. Findings showed that students associated brain rot with reduced productivity, poor concentration, and impaired decision-making. They reported that low-quality digital content harmed academic performance, caused social isolation, and evoked inadequacy, while coping through self-regulation strategies such as exercise, digital detox, and mindfulness. Ultimately, this study provides the first qualitative evidence of how university students experience brain rot as a result of exposure to low-quality digital content and offers a unique and in-depth conceptual framework regarding its impact on individual and academic life in the digital era.