How Travel And Outdoor Adventures Can Help Improve 'Brain Rot' From Perpetual Screen Time

Brain rot: The internet's term for the cognitive effects of spending hours scrolling mindlessly on social media. The word has become so widespread that it was named Oxford's Word of the Year for 2024, which served as a wake-up call for citizens of the internet to seriously reassess their social media habits. According to the American Psychological Association, 37% of American teens spend over five hours on social media per day, which has been shown to negatively affect mental health among people of all ages. Known as the "feel-good" hormone, dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brain that rewards us every time we do something pleasurable, whether that be eating, doing something creative, or learning something new. That's where travel comes in as the ultimate cure to brain rot.

To keep your brain healthy, you need a healthy balance of dopamine, not too much and not too little. However, absentmindedly scrolling through short-form content on social media tends to overload our dopamine receptors, leading to loss of sleep, heightened emotions, and even addiction. Instead of stimulating your mind with the instant gratification of social media, traveling and getting outside in general inspires a more balanced approach to raising your dopamine levels. Instead of rewarding your brain every time you swipe, your mind now has a chance to slow down and enjoy a beautiful village in Switzerland or Colorado's scenic mountain views.

BuzzFeed, Contiki, and Myndplay organized a study where they observed the brainwaves of five travelers. They found that through authentic travel experiences, the participants had around 10 natural dopamine hits every day, as well as 18 "zen moments," or moments where the traveler felt calm and present in their surroundings. The travelers were experiencing balanced dopamine levels, leading them to leave their travel adventures feeling refreshed, focused, and creatively inspired.

While travel does amazing things for the brain, don't feel like you have to travel to the other side of the world to free your mind from the shackles of your phone. Even just getting outside for a few hours a week can help foster balanced dopamine levels and keep your brain healthy long term. According to an MRI study in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, people who spend at least 120 minutes a week outside enjoying nature have more grey matter in their prefrontal cortex. In non-scientific terms, this means they have an easier time processing information and regulating emotions. So even if you don't yet have the money to spend on plane tickets to XYZ, getting outside — whether you're sitting in the park or hiking the longest continuous trail in America — can be a great way to fight brain rot every day.