BRAIN ROT has been deemed the word of the year for 2024. I know...it's two words. Oxford University Press said this term “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before." The Oxford Dictionary defines BRAIN ROT as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of over-consumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or un-challenging.” Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, “’brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.”
Have you found yourself scrolling aimlessly, or viewing an inordinate number of reels and short clips? Celebrities, comedians, preachers, sales gimmicks, and podcasts abound offering soundbites of advice on any and everything imaginable. We now binge-watch TV shows when we used to wait with baited breath for the next weekly episode. Some things on the internet are good. In moderation, our brains wouldn't rot.
In 1854, philosopher Henry David Thoreau used brain rot in his work, Walden, or Life in the Woods. At the time, the 27 year-old had relocated to his cabin for solitude and reflection. NPR quotes Cristin Ellis, an authority on Thoreau from the University of Mississippi, "For Thoreau, 'brain-rot describes what happens to our minds and spirits when we suppress our innate instincts for curiosity and wonder, and instead resign ourselves to the un-reflective habits we observe all around us -- habits of fitting in, getting by, chasing profits, chatting about the latest news." Ellis continues, "Thoreau really values direct experience over our habits of consuming other peoples' ideas at second hand. He wants us to go outside to feel and think something for ourselves; he wants us to get to know the places where we actually live." Have you lost creativity or wonder due to brain rot?
Paul admonished the Church to fill their lives with the Word, Spirit, and presence of God, not with the influences of popular culture:
6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 8Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10)
From what sources have you been getting most of your information these days? How many hours per week is your mind susceptible to this deterioration? how about your children's or grandchildren's? Thoreau suggested that a cure for brain-rot was needed in England 171 years ago...how much more do we need one today? | 
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