Yes, here we are at the last Connessioni Newsletter! Starting next Monday (inclusive), our editorial team will be off for the upcoming Christmas holidays.
We have a few days ahead to dedicate to everything we never have time for: how will you spend them?
In recent days, various articles on the so-called “Brain Rot” have appeared in the mainstream press. This term, literally meaning “cerebral decay,” was coined by the University of Oxford to describe the year 2024, referring to the alleged (though not entirely unfounded, according to several studies on the topic) decline in a person’s mental or intellectual state due to excessive consumption of materials deemed trivial or unchallenging—in this specific case, online content. This includes the endless videos, micro-texts, and other offerings that scrolling presents to us, based on the data we willingly or unwillingly provide to the Web, a mode that engages and manipulates the reward system triggered by dopamine in the brain.
Of course, most—if not all—of those reading this text will feel immune to the danger of Brain Rot, as technology represents work, a tool, and we probably have little time for mindless scrolling. However, for those whose profession is technology, it is important to be aware of it.
But there is some good news: it seems that those most exposed to “Brain Rot” are also more aware of the risks of losing control over the time spent online. According to the portal Skuola.net, nearly half of Italian youth aged 10 to 24 would agree to prohibit the use of smartphones for those under 14 and social media for those under 16, as proposed in a recent appeal signed by educators, medical professionals, writers, and figures from the cultural and entertainment world.
So, during this holiday season, it might be a good idea to put aside the smartphone, at least for a while, and to set an example for those around us, combating the word of the year with a book or a walk. Trivial? Perhaps, but it will also be a way to recharge our batteries ifor the upcoming ISE, which awaits us from February 4 to 7 in Barcelona and will demand asx usual energy and concentration.
Best wishes to our readers from the entire editorial team.
