Brain Rot: The Detrimental Impact of Skibidi

READ THIS ARTICLE. STOP SCROLLING.

Skibidi Toilet, Fanum Tax, Kai Cenat, and the Rizzler are all terms that enthrall Middlesex students these days, especially junior Jack Francini. Even in creating that last sentence, I admit that I scrolled on Instagram Reels for a break. Yet in that time of mental stimulation, I have no recollection of what I saw. It could have been one of those cat storyline videos with the “Unstoppable” song playing in the background, as generated by AI, or even a video of a low-quality car crash in Russia.  KEEP READING THIS ARTICLE. STOP SCROLLING. Although at the surface my inability to recall these 10-second streamlines of dopamine may appear benign or even humorous to some onlookers, in reality, this issue is an imminent danger to every student at Middlesex and the minds of every user online.

For all Middlesex students, these videos, though hilarious, kill our drive and focus as academics. For many of my classmates, including myself, screen time can surpass 5 hours, and at times even 10, taking time out of our already packed schedules. When doing homework, many of my peers, and I as well, use these stimulating videos to avoid any looming work that appears daunting.  KEEP READING THIS ARTICLE. STOP SCROLLING. However, in this process, our anxiety only proliferates as our time diminishes. When writing an essay, for example, I often take breaks on Reels that surpass my actual writing time, not only hindering my productivity but, more importantly, my ability to think critically. With these breaks, I completely forget what I am even writing about as Kai Cenat videos with Subway Surfers gameplay displayed below completely occupy my short-term memory, a memory critical when finding nuance in an essay, as specific claims with unique analysis add flare and depth to one’s writing. 

These dopamine disruptors also cause a problem during the school day. Have you noticed an increased tendency in your classmates to leave a discussion to get water or go to the restroom? This is due to our phones, devices we have become so obsessed with that we leave crucial class discussions to tend to our notifications or watch a TikTok. Even when we do not have our phones, when in class, students' attentiveness to the class conversation or lecture has evidently diminished, as Skibidi is not only an addiction but a mechanism that reduces one’s attention span. Perhaps the Chinese Communist Party, in cahoots with TikTok executives, many of whom have close ties with the party, have made TikTok an educational tool for children by banning any unacademic videos in the app because of their awareness of the harm that instant-dopamine applications such as TikTok have on young minds.  KEEP READING THIS ARTICLE. STOP SCROLLING. Of course, this prioritization of education over entertainment seems unparalleled in China, where the academic standards differ drastically from those of the U.S. TikTok executives might have served this addictive device to American children so that Chinese children can, in essence, have the upper hand, easily lining their pockets with cash from a content-consuming generation of Americans. 

Furthermore, these brain-rotting videos take away from something even more important than our academic endeavors: our sleep. I, along with many of the readers of this article (most likely adults, as a child’s attention span is doubtful making it this far in the article) have certainly scrolled through our phones prior to going to bed. This presents another problem: blue light. As we scroll through “looksmaxxing” videos on Instagram at night, our eyes take in blue light. This strains our eyes and keeps us alert and awake, disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm, which in turn keeps us awake hours past when we would have fallen asleep without our phone, promoting grogginess, lowering attention spans, and consuming our time––all aspects that feed into the vicious cycle of brain-rotting dopamine hits. KEEP READING THIS ARTICLE. STOP SCROLLING. 

Having illustrated the harm of Instagram reels and TikTok, I have a challenge for you: do something for 30 minutes without looking at your phone; finish reading articles that are not vital to read; and watch a Netflix show from start to finish. If you complete these tasks, take on harder endeavors like hour-long meditations or longer, productive study sessions without a break. I am not saying this because productivity is necessary, but rather because we need to become more human through being attentive, an alertness that will heighten our senses and increase our long-term dopamine levels and thus happiness. Let’s bring an end to Skibidi. GOOD JOB! YOU FINISHED READING SOMETHING WITHOUT WATCHING SOMEONE LOOKSMAXX IN THEIR BATHROOM MIRROR!

Will Cohen