Doomscrolling & Brain Rot: How Parents Can Stop It

Doomscrolling and brain rot are new names for an old problem—spending too much time stuck in a cycle of bad news and mindless scrolling.

With most social platforms shifting towards short-form video content, it’s no wonder that humans spend a good portion of their lives endlessly scrolling through their feeds, and the most vulnerable part of the population is children.

Both doomscrolling and brain rot will hinder your child’s development, both mental and physical. So, let’s find the solution.

What Are Doomscrolling and Brain Rot?

Doomscrolling means getting stuck in a loop of reading bad news, scary updates, or negative comments online, which usually happens on social media or news apps.

Brain rot is the term people now use to describe how all that non-stop scrolling can leave your mind feeling foggy, tired, and unfocused.

The two are closely linked: doomscrolling feeds your brain a constant stream of stress and junk, which can make it harder to think clearly or stay motivated over time. This problem is widespread, and it’s growing fast as screens become a bigger part of everyday life, especially for kids.

Since children are more susceptible to getting stuck in such patterns without noticing, numerous parents are now turning towards parental monitoring apps to manage the screen time and habits of their loved ones.

One of the most developed parental monitoring tools is Eyezy, which helps parents keep an eye on how devices are being used and enables parents to take action early.

The Physical & Mental Effects of Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling quietly affects how kids grow and develop, and when children spend too much time with their faces glued to screens, they move less, sleep worse, and miss out on face-to-face interactions that build social/emotional skills.

Since children don’t have the life experience to recognize unhealthy patterns, they don’t realize how doomscrolling is dragging down their mood, energy, and focus, which leads to anxiety, sadness, procrastination, and numbness over time.

How Parents Can Fight Doomscrolling and Brain Rot?

Here are three effective things you can do:

1.     Outdoor Hobbies/Activities

Spending time outside is an excellent way to break the cycle of never-ending scrolling. Fresh air, movement, connecting with nature, and real-world fun give the brain something positive to focus on.

Encourage your kids to try sports, walk the dog, go biking, or just hang out at the park.

2.     Lead by Example

Your kids pay close attention to what you do, so stop checking your phone all the time, or they’ll think that’s normal and follow in your footsteps.

Show them how to take breaks, set boundaries with devices, and choose uplifting content.

3.     How Eyezy Helps You Prevent Doomscrolling

Eyezy is a tool that can help you see and understand how your kids are using their phones. It provides information on screen time, app usage, and online behavior—including a built-in Facebook tracker app to monitor their activity on social media. Plus, it works in stealth mode (your kids won’t even know they’re being monitored).

This’ll make it easier for parents to spot early signs of this terrible habit and take action before it becomes a perpetual addiction. A Demo version of Eyezy is available for you to try the tool out.

Conclusion

Doomscrolling and brain rot can easily creep into our lives without us noticing, especially children, because of how malleable they are and how susceptible they are to external stimuli.

The first steps are understanding both issues and staying alert. Detecting early signs and taking action is the best way to protect your kids’ health and ensure they develop into better versions of themselves.