Quinn Jones spending time during her summer break teaching kids at her Jr. Lifeguard Camp about first aid on August 14, 2025. The education included injuries from scrapes to strokes as well as how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Photo used with the permission of Quinn Jones.

Brainrot has infiltrated the English vernacular of most high schools in recent years, largely through social media. Not only has this changed the way people speak, but also how they think, as “doomscrolling” has become a pastime for some students, especially in the summer months.

“I feel like anytime I go anywhere, I see everybody on their phones,” sophomore Quinn Jones said. “If I said ‘6-7’ in a room with 50 teenagers I think everybody would do the ‘6-7’ thing, including me, including everybody. I think we are all victims of this societal hold we are put under by brainrot.”

Due to ample free time that students and staff members have over the summer, many find themselves “mindlessly” scrolling through various social media. This has brought up the discussion of whether summer serves as a good break for students from the school year or ends up leaving them struggling to “lock back in.” Quinn emphasized that after spending all of summer doing little academically challenging things, even with summer assignments, it often proves difficult to begin working again after such a long break.

There are multiple ways to combat “brainrot,” one of which is to attempt to stimulate the brain despite spending time on a phone.

“Learning Japanese for fun. Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle for the first time in your life. Taking a ceramic class. Joining a book club. Mastering a whole new makeup trick. What do these activities have in common? They challenge you in new ways, potentially adding to your brain health,” a recent magazine in Vogue said. 

“I listen to podcasts when I exercise so it keeps my mind active,” English teacher Gretchen Griffey said. “I get bored when I listen to music, but I like to listen to the story so it helps me to keep going.”

She listens to a variety of podcasts and audiobooks including ones about exploration in the new world, true crime and even mystery novels. 

It also proves useful to be self-aware when spending time on social media as it allows people to manage themselves as well as their time more efficiently.

“I feel people are realizing the effects a little bit, and just the mindless part of it and doing other things,” freshman Samuel McBride said. “I think it is a big issue with people who are addicted to apps like Tiktok and Instagram. But if you just get on, watch a few videos and get off, it is not a problem.”

Summer can serve as both a time to relax from the academic season, but also as an opportunity to explore topics while keeping your brain active, so it is vital to stimulate the brain with challenging ideas.

“We are all so brainrotted, there’s no going back,” Quinn said.