Internet People Brain rot & how to get the f*ck off your phone
Dec 17, 2024
They riff on a slow-burn TV show that messes with your head. They unpack why "brain rot" is trending and how constant scrolling reshapes attention and relationships. Practical phone fixes get practical attention, from notification hygiene to weekend TechRest rituals. There are candid chats about messy career stories and why unplugging fuels creativity.
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Dopamine Is The Anticipation Chase
- Dopamine drives anticipation not pleasure, so infinite scroll exploits the brain's chase mechanism to keep us hunting for hits.
- MJ cites Robert Sapolsky and explains that the scroll is a dopamine chase with little satisfying reward at the end.
Hide Social Apps Off Your Home Screen
- Remove social apps from your home screen so accessing them requires extra swipes, creating a pause to reconsider opening them.
- Anna calls this a small resistance barrier that sometimes snaps you out of the Pavlovian finger movement to open Instagram.
Set App Timers And Morning Blocks
- Use built-in app limits and block problem apps until later in the day to stop morning scrolling from setting your mood.
- MJ warns limits can be bypassed, but the pop-up can still interrupt a trance and prompt self-control.
