Lowkenuinely sat down to write this 6 or 7 times and couldn’t find the grindset to lock in but let me cook. If that made sense to you please keep reading this because we’re talking about brain rot.
Well, specifically, the rise of the anti-brain rot influencer. Chances are that while your feed was auto-scrolling this week, you came across an individual embarking on some sort of cognitive challenge to un-rot their brain. Perhaps, you’re actively seeking this out, or maybe your algorithm knew that you needed something of substance to keep you scrolling for a little longer. Regardless, you suddenly find yourself the new proud owner of fun facts about whales, a deep dive into a greek play, or learning about Vogue’s cultural literacy test from the ‘90s.
If you’re like us, the videos feel like a breath of fresh air after emerging from a whirlpool of “cool girl” hauls, kalshi ads, and WIEIADs. But are these new influencers really un-rotting your brain? Or just jumping on the next train to engagement?
Harkening back to the analog bag discourse and the “raw-dogging boredom’” era. What started as a tactic for tactical offline fun, soon became yet another prop in the influencer toolbox. “What’s in my analog bag” content grew exponentially and the market for analog hobbies did too. But we would love to see the usage stats on those analog bags today…
In the same vein, there’s been an uptick in “anti-brain rot” events. Creators are hosting mini-salons, lectures, debates etc. in the name of getting people together to use their brains. In a stroke of genius… (the brain rot stuff must be working) they’re both satisfying the desire for community in a world that is increasingly isolating AND boosting cognitive capacity with peers. The only catch…some of these events come with a price tag.
Much like the monetization of community events, we’re keeping an eye on the whole you can beat brain rot if you can afford it scheme. Yes, putting on events can require a little cash, but it can also be a convenient excuse to line your own pockets, or create a intellectual hierarchy that looks suspiciously like class lines. Keep an eye out for who is actually passionate about making these things accessible. (Btw your local library is probably already hosting something similar). Beware the intellectual grifter…
So we find ourselves (once again) debating whether a creator showcasing a positive practice is truly a positive influence, and we (once again) have come to the conclusion that unfortunately what matters most is what you do with that content.
As much as we would love to passively scroll our brain rot away, the true benefits can only be found if you escape the mirror neuron trap and act on this information. Let it inspire you to annotate and review a book of your own! Learn a new word every day! Pick one of the analog activities in question and make it part of your routine. Begin creating your own anti-brainrot series. Whatever gets your synapses firing!
But all in all, we can agree content that teaches you something is quite a big step up from content that makes you descend further into a spiral of self-loathing, or worse…encourages you to think less. So we’ve put together a quick list of some of our favorite thought daughters of the moment to get you started.
if you wanted to be an archeologist as a kid, you’ll love this one
a word of the day keeps the brainrot away
this creator has many bangers like: starting a family archive, feeding your brain, and research as a hobby! plus, she has a killer substack too
the MET instagram actually
IN OTHER NEWS:
Bowen Yang in Oh, Mary! Lives will be changed!
New Charliiiii, new Slayyyter we are up!!
Myspace may be making a comeback which admittedly we are very curious to experience based on the way our millennial coworkers speak about this social media dinosaur
Phoebe allegedly throwing shade at Gracie in a new song pop beef looks so different these days!!
On Repeat:
we’re watching spiderman for the plot….
boxing classes
bibigo microwavable rice bowls + seaweed wrap + tinned fish
beat up chanel$ by slayyyter
froyo like it’s 2016 bbyyyy (submission from the everygirlz in nyc, chicago has a froyo drought!)
sam edelman flats
ride the pod season 4
odele leave in conditioner (a MIRACLE for us girls who can't figure out our curl patterns to save our lives)
Crush List!!
Renee Rapp
Tom Holland
and Sadie Sink
Things we hate:
SSRI sweats dear god
rain
boob sweat
hangovers specifically from trader joe's three buck chuck wines
the fact that the trader joe's three buck chuck used to be two buck chuck wines and no one talks about it
Wish we could post (memes of the week as a treat!)
Cheers,
the everygirlz
btw we answer your Q’s sometimes:
Lowkenuinely is my new favourite word 🩵
whoever is writing these missives deserves a raise!!