This story is jointly published as part of the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah Tech University and Weber State University. The collaborative is an Amplify Utah project with support from PBS Utah.
It all started with a single flicker: pixelated shapes, aligning blocks, stacking sets, and scoring points. The thrill was in the simplicity, controlling dancing pixels on a TV screen.
Then came the era of adventure, where the journey through a mushroom kingdom captivated a generation.
These early games weren’t deep or long, but they hooked players in a way that forever changed — and set a new norm of — social culture.
Fast forward to today, and the stakes are even higher. It’s no longer clearing lines or jumping over obstacles. Now, players are controlling super soldiers in an intergalactic war, competing in front of thousands of fans inside a sold-out arena.
As gaming worlds grow larger, more detailed, and increasingly intense, the debate persists about the influence of video games on mental health and whether they can “rot” the brain. This question has echoed through generations, from the old-school arcade days to the rise of online multiplayer communities, the explosive growth of streaming platforms and the impact of esports.
When slang becomes social commentary
In 2024, the Oxford University Press named “brain rot” as its word of the year, making it the second year in a row that a Gen Z/Alpha-influenced term has shaped the course of where communication is heading.
The term has grown beyond meme references, becoming a target of criticism of modern digital media consumption.
“I can see why people think gaming is brain rot, you can definitely take it that far. But the term is kind of overused,” said Spencer Tracy, a Salt Lake Community College student and captain of the school’s Halo Esports team. “It’s more about overexposure to [the] media in general. That’s not just video games — that’s social media, movies, and the millions of ads we see every day. You can get brain rot from anything if you overconsume it.”
Ironically, Gen Z and Gen Alpha — the same groups creating and consuming digital content — have also embraced the term “brain rot” on social media, one of the various platforms accused of causing it.
“It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of social media that they’ve inherited,” stated Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.
Gaming has long faced criticism for its impact on players. Parents, educators and psychologists have debated its influence for decades, questioning whether it inspires creativity and strategic thinking or fuels addiction and social withdrawal.
The rise of platforms like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and Kick has only increased discussion as thousands of players spend hours on streaming instead of engaging in real-world activities.
While some view gaming as a contributor to so-called “brain rot,” others see video games as tools for learning, skill development, social bonding and even professional opportunities.
With gaming reaching more than $100 billion in revenue in 2023 and esports becoming a legitimate competitive platform, students and faculty express how gaming provides them with entertainment, community building and personal growth. To these gamers, games have far surpassed the meaning of “just playing games”; they have become a cultural bridge to a new era of communication.
SLCC Esports: A case for gaming, community and identity
Coach Jeff Sosa, director of SLCC’s Esports program, highlights how gaming is misunderstood by many, particularly older generations.
“I think a lot of older generations think of gaming as ‘brain rot’ because they don’t understand how gaming activates or excites people,” Sosa said.
“Much like how not everyone likes all sports, and not every sport has everyone’s interest, but older generations don’t struggle with its appeal because you can physically see the action,” he continued. “However, there isn’t much physical action in video games.”
Sosa acknowledged some games are simply made to be addictive and could be considered a “brain rot” style of game. He also said some people just use video games as their form of brain rot to pass the time.
“It’s a fine line because the activity [gaming] can do both, unlike some forms of physical sports,” he added.
However, Sosa believes esports can shift the narrative by providing a competitive outlet that challenges players in ways that many may not expect.
“College esports helps show that there is a serious side to gaming, and if you think someone is good at gaming, they can prove it. You’d be surprised how many students think they are good at gaming but refuse to actually play an esports game that their program supports,” Sosa said.
According to Sosa, SLCC’s Esports not only offers a platform for competition but also an opportunity for gamers to prove their skills while challenging the “brain rot” stereotype and fostering a sense of community and pride.
For SLCC gaming students, the esports program stands as a testament to gaming’s ability to create meaningful connections and even shape personal identities through an ever-changing college environment.
For Tracy, gaming, and being a part of the Halo team, is more than a competition, it’s about community.
“I love gaming, I love Halo, and I love building teams and bringing people together,” Tracy said. “When a local tournament can bring hundreds of people together from all over the world to just play Halo, that’s a pretty special thing.”
Former and current SLCC esports players echo the feeling. Luis Vilchez, a former member of the Halo team, sees gaming as a natural extension and contributor to his competitive drive.
“It has improved my communication and chemistry with my teammates drastically, on and offline,” Vilchez said.
Isabelle “Fluffy” Saunders, a current member of SLCC Overwatch team, found a deeper connection through gaming.
“Most of my friends and the people I meet have been through esports,” Saunders said. “I definitely [have] grown a lot as [a] person playing video games because a big part of competition is communication. I’ve always struggled with communicating. I feel like learning how to act in a virtual environment really helped me understand that a lot better, it just made me more comfortable because I got more confident in talking in real life.”
Students and the ‘brain rot’ stigma
Outside of esports, two SLCC students and casual gamers also challenge the idea that video games contribute to brain rot.
Ayad Al Samaray, a 19-year-old computer science major, sees a distinction between gaming and the mindless content consumption known as “doom scrolling.”
“Brain rot, to me, is short-form media found on platforms like TikTok, and is something that is low effort with a negative impact on your mind … I would definitely not categorize most video games as brain rot,” Al Samaray said. “The furthest I’d go is to say that some of the communities overlap, but video games at the source are not brain rot.”
Ryan Castrita-Morales, a 19-year-old majoring in health science, acknowledges gaming has the potential to become something that consumes one’s time, but believes it’s about personal responsibility.
“I don’t think all games are brain rot, but it’s easy to turn off your brain and waste time on them,” Castrita-Morales said. “Gaming is a way to connect with people from around the world and insert yourself into the story of a video game. I think it’s great entertainment and enrichment, but it’s up to you to manage your time to avoid it from becoming an addiction.”
Gerardo Galvez reported and produced this story as a communication student at Salt Lake Community College.
