If a kid in your life keeps chanting “Tralalero Tralala” or “Bombardiro Crocodilo,” you’ve been hit by Italian brain rot.

When I first heard about TikTok's new meme trend, Italian brain rot, it reminded me of Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol, a collection of Bengali nonsense verse. Only that was literature; this is actually ...

Emerging research suggests overusing digital devices can be harmful, especially to mental health. But does being overly online truly rot our brains?

In the first half of 2025, she racked up over 55 million views on TikTok and 4 million likes, mostly from tweens glued to their cellphones. Not bad for an AI-generated cartoon ballerina with a ...

Ballerina Cappuccina, as depicted by @brainrotpumpfun, is one of the most well-known (and least controversial) Italian brain-rot characters. Photo: @brainrotpumpfun via TikTok Even if it hasn’t ...

Meet Ballerina Cappuccina and the Italian brain rot crew, an absurd group of A.I.-generated characters that are flooding TikTok. By Alisha Haridasani Gupta The first thing you need to know about ...

Italian brain rot is a niche form of memes that went viral in January 2025. Photo by Michele Bitetto/Unsplash If we’re lucky in the Opinion section, we work through our beliefs completely and support ...

"Ballerina cappucccina" is not the latest trend in fancy lattes. Instead, it's a dainty ballerina with a giant coffee mug for a head, a character from a popular TikTok meme in the category of ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant. Brain rot, in general, seems to be in vogue these days. Allow ...

The term "brain rot" refers to how low-quality internet content may slow your brain function. It's usually tied to watching specific types of content, usually nonsensical, embarrassing, or weird. But ...