I personally have lost count of the hours I spend on my phone, moving from one social platform to the next from morning until night. Even when I’m pressed for time, I catch myself scrolling through Reels, treating them like quick breaks. But what once felt like harmless downtime has slowly turned into a habit that has become harder to ignore.

The time I spend on these platforms often pulls attention away from what truly matters, while trivial content manages to drain both my time and money. So when I finally stumbled upon the term “brain rot,” I wasn’t surprised. It felt like an accurate diagnosis—as if artificial intelligence had put a name to my condition.

“Brain rot” refers to a state of mental sluggishness triggered by excessive screen time and constant app-hopping, ultimately dulling focus and diminishing the brain’s capacity for reflection. It also leads to what could be described as “economic decay,” where people lose both productivity and financial discipline.

In this context, An-Nahar interviewed economist and head of the International Center for Strategic Studies in Cairo, Dr. Khaled Ramadan, about what he describes as the emerging “brain rot economy.”

Ramadan explains that this phenomenon is essentially an offshoot of the attention economy—one that feeds specifically on low-quality, rapid-fire content designed to capture and hold the viewer’s focus. He likens it to “a vast factory churning out continuous doses of instant entertainment while gradually eroding the brain’s capacity to concentrate and retain information.” He notes that Oxford University has defined “brain rot” as a deterioration of mental state caused by excessive exposure to trivial content.

Platforms, he added, rely on sophisticated algorithms engineered to reinforce addictive behavior through “instant dopamine rewards”—tiny hits of pleasure that feel satisfying in the moment but come at the expense of meaningful cognitive engagement.

From an economic standpoint, Ramadan described attention as the new gold. “Ever since Herbert Simon argued in 1971 that an abundance of information produces a scarcity of attention, this resource has become a valuable currency that companies aggressively compete for through the advertising market,” he says, emphasizing that the issue has evolved from a mere behavioral pattern into a full-fledged economic model.

Economic gains

Ramadan cited the Skibidi Toilet series on YouTube Shorts—fictional clips depicting battles between toilets and television-headed characters—as an example. “Despite its simplicity, it attracted millions of views in 2024 and generated substantial revenue, while simultaneously diverting attention from education,” he said.

He also highlighted TikTok ads that leverage interactive filters and viral music to boost sales by up to 40%, yet perpetuate what researchers call “zombie scrolling”—a state in which users passively consume content, unable to focus or disengage.

According to Ramadan, this economy produces enormous profits. “Companies such as Meta and Google earned more than $1.4 trillion in 2024, a 55% increase fueled by digital addiction,” he noted. He added that trivial content increases user interaction time fivefold and amplifies ad exposure by 40%, while artificial intelligence enables the production of cheap, quickly monetizable material without regard for quality.

Social dimensions and beneficiaries

Ramadan noted that while this booming economy accelerates consumption and drives digital sector growth by 10–15% annually, it also carries a darker side: reduced productivity and a decline in intelligence scores by an estimated 13 points due to cognitive fatigue.

“Major platforms such as Meta and TikTok are the biggest winners, securing $853 billion in advertising revenue in 2024,” Ramadan said. Influencers—particularly from Generation Z—capitalize on viral content to earn quick income, while advertising firms profit from precise audience targeting, with the native advertising market expanding by 372%. He added, “Even global giants like Amazon rely on this consumer behavior driven by constant scrolling to build their profits.”

Social Dimensions and Beneficiaries

Market Size
He estimated the attention economy—including its “brain rot” segment—at roughly $400 billion in 2025, marking a 372% increase since 2020. Digital advertising revenue reached $853 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2027. The U.S. accounts for 60% of this revenue, largely driven by short-form content, which generates 70% of user interactions.

Scarcity of Attention
Highlighting the scarcity of mental resources, Ramadan said, “We produce 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day, but there are only 24 hours. Roughly seven hours are spent on digital platforms, reducing overall concentration by 40%.” He argued that algorithms designed to stimulate dopamine create a “congestion economy,” in which attention is constantly siphoned by trivial content.

Investing in the Attention Economy
Ramadan likened this sector to a financial portfolio requiring careful management: “The attention portfolio must be diversified to avoid negative addiction, and qualitative attention should be prioritized for sustainability.” Investment relies on precise data and AI to target user segments, along with short-form content under 30 seconds, which multiplies interaction fivefold. Personalized AI content further enhances returns by 40%, despite the significant costs of developing and maintaining advanced algorithms.

Complexities and Strategies
Ramadan concluded that “the attention economy is complex, with algorithms interacting with regulations like GDPR and behavioral biases that can reduce productivity by 20%.” He explained that the attention equation—time × focus × intention—determines success, warning that companies failing to manage it face heavy losses. He cited CrowdStrike in 2024 as an example, when a form of “corporate decay” triggered widespread global disruptions.