The “Italian Brainrot” phenomenon that’s captivated our kids, explained by a psychologist. Ana-Maria Zamfir: “This trend emerged from something that already exists within us”

"Brainrot" is a term coined and spread by kids and teenagers on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. It refers to short, ultra-colorful, chaotic clips that seemingly "rot your brain".

They have no clear logic or narrative, yet they’re incredibly effective at grabbing attention. These videos often combine AI-generated animations with distorted sound effects, absurd songs, or chaotic remixes. And kids love them.

“Everyone knows who Cappuccino Assassino or Thung Thung Sahur is”, said Părinți Prezenți host Loredana Iriciuc. “How do we explain this fascination with clips that honestly seem like complete nonsense?”

“They are nonsense that’s the paradox”, replied Ana-Maria Zamfir. “These compositions are surprising and filled with elements that catch the eye and the brain precisely because they don’t match, they shouldn’t go together. That’s part of what makes them so captivating”.

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The appeal is already wired in us

“This trend tapped into something that already exists within us”, the psychologist added on Părinți Prezenți, a show by ParintisiPitici.ro. “It’s our natural curiosity for things that are different, things we find amusing or entertaining in some odd way”.

Clips That Stimulate the Brain’s Pleasure and Survival Systems

“As parents, we watch this stuff and it makes zero sense. There’s no storyline, no logic, no educational value. Yet our kids are glued to the screen. Why does it work? What part of the brain is being triggered?” host Loredana Iriciuc asked.

“It taps into the survival system”, explained Ana-Maria Zamfir. “We, as humans, operate on two main drives. One is hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure and comfort, which the brain constantly seeks. The other is fear, or survival”.

Brainrot-style clips push the pleasure button hard. They’re funny, strange, colorful, and hypnotic. They don’t demand any cognitive effort, no processing, no reflection. Just wave after wave of dopamine. It’s exactly what the brain craves when it wants to relax.

“We constantly switch between these two systems, fear for survival and pleasure for comfort. Both are survival tools. We need to relax and feel good, but fear also motivates us to act”, she added.

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“These Are the Two Engines”, says Ana-Maria Zamfir

“So yes, these are the two engines. And when these bizarre clips show up, I believe the pleasure center, the hedonistic one, is triggered first. It’s so easily accessible, but we’re not really built for it”.

“Our adaptability developed in times when survival meant hard work, you had to hunt, for example. Hunting requires spotting something unusual or moving in the environment and focusing all your attention on it. That’s selective attention, tuning into something that matters for your survival.”

“Brainrot is a mix of both systems. On one hand, these videos demand nothing, just the pure pleasure of watching a weird, hypnotic thing with colorful visuals and jarring sounds. On the other hand, they’re different enough from the usual environment that they instinctively grab our attention”, she explained.

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Kids live in a different reality. And we need to understand it

As parents, we often dismiss this phenomenon. It seems silly, maybe it is. But it’s also very real.

“Kids today face completely different challenges than we did. They have to adapt to these new conditions. This is their reality”.

They discuss brain rot, they know the names, and they even turn it into a game. “A kid was telling me how a classmate came to school and said, ‘Let’s see who knows more brainrot videos.’” So yes, in some way, they have to keep up. They need to know how to talk about this stuff and be part of the group.

“It’s a trend because our minds are naturally drawn to it”, concluded Ana-Maria Zamfir.

It’s a reality we can’t just ignore. Whether we like it or not, it’s part of their world. And if we want to stay connected with our kids, we at least need to try to understand what they’re consuming.

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