Brain Rot

Oxford Word of the Year 2024

If there is one thing I have consistently done this year and celebrated myself for, it has been writing on social media. Social media has given me so much of what I have today:

Excellent mentors
A platform to showcase my work
People who appreciate and support my work
A space to build my portfolio
Meaningful opportunities

…and also a place to find inspiration.

I have truly enjoyed slowly and gradually building a social media following across platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack. Experimenting with various formats on these platforms has been invaluable as a writer. Each platform has its own voice and audience, and writing across them has pushed me to find new ways to express myself.

Everything was going well, and I was excited to set ambitious goals for the coming year—until something shifted.

All the social media writing and content-building came at a huge cost: excessive screen time.

In an ideal world, I would take 10 minutes to post and then not revisit the platform. But, as it turns out, the writer in me is quite greedy for praise and acknowledgement. I found myself constantly refreshing notifications, and checking comments and reactions to my posts.

In this utopian world, Instagram also wouldn’t have been designed by some of the smartest minds in the world to keep us hooked for hours. The platform’s algorithm, attuned to our latest likes and needs, curates content so perfectly that it’s no longer scary—it’s downright abysmal.

While we as individuals bear some responsibility for our addiction to social media, much like with narcotics, the platforms themselves are designed to exploit our attention and time.

A random late-night conversation with my partner about all of this shifted something in me. Her advice was along the lines of focusing on only one platform and removing all the rest. At that time, it seemed like the last thing I should do. I was rationing platforms with her, saying, “No, let me write here. Let me write there.”

Her intention was simply to help me focus on one platform and spend the rest of my time on actual writing projects and editing work. My point, however, was to fully immerse myself in writing across multiple platforms.

The conversation didn’t conclude with a decision, but it did leave me thinking. Why was I feeling so much FOMO at the thought of letting go of a couple of platforms and focusing on just one? What would it take from me?

These questions stayed with me. These questions made me visualize what it might feel like to be on only one platform. So, I removed all apps from my phone except Instagram. As the apps disappeared, my phone looked freer, and so did my mind. Suddenly, there seemed to be more space—both literally and figuratively.

That same night, I deleted Instagram too.

It’s now been a week since I’ve had any social media app on my phone—not even Substack. Coincidentally, this same week, Oxford announced its word of the year: Brain Rot. No surprise there.

While social media has had many perks for me, it was increasingly doing more harm than good. I used to feel so pressured to write on multiple platforms and remain active on all of them to build community and find meaningful opportunities.

As a writer, my purpose on social media was to market my work, but somewhere along the way, social media itself became my work. I spent so much time dancing to the algorithm’s tune while multiple drafts lay untouched and unedited on my desktop.

A week without any social media app has made me realize just how much time I was spending on these platforms every day. My screen time used to exceed four to five hours on most days. Everything came into sharp perspective when I looked at my relationship with social media through this new lens.

I know that a healthy balance is the answer to most things, but for now, I feel like taking an extended break from social media. I want to focus on actual writing and editing. And also, to read—a LOT.

This doesn’t feel like a forever goodbye to social media. I know how useful it can be for writers and artists. But for now, I wish to dive deeper into my projects without the constant noise of social media. This feels right for me at the moment.

I’ll, of course, continue writing here in the newsletter. I love this—long pieces straight from the heart, free from the interference of an algorithm.

Hoping to have a 2025 that has less screen time and a lot more sunshine time!

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I invite you to reflect and write on the following prompt:

Write about your relationship with technology or social media.
Is it a tool that serves you, or does it feel like a master you serve?
Reflect on a moment when you either reclaimed control over your time or felt consumed by the digital world. What did you learn about yourself in that process?

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As a feature of all my newsletters, I share one song, one book, one plant-based meal, one film/video that inspired me, and some photographic updates from my life.

• Song: I recommend this qawwali by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ji - Kehna Ghalat Ghalat To Chupaana Sehi Sehi. Listen to the entire qawwali in one sitting, and let your soul thank you. :)

• Book/Newsletter: I’m currently reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. The book explores the effects of excessive social media and technology on the human mind.

  

• Meal: Yesterday, I had a Himachali thali at a dhaba. It’s called Kangri Dham, and it tasted absolutely wonderful!

  

• Film/Video: I recently watched Inside Out and Inside Out 2 with my lovely friend and neighbour. These films are brilliantly made and had me teary-eyed in so many scenes. They left me reflecting on the importance of each emotion—even the so-called “ugly” ones like anger, envy, and jealousy.

• Photographs: In Bir, the winter colours of the sky, sun, and trees come together to create pure magic.

  

  

Thank you for reading my newsletter! I hope you enjoyed reading it. If you liked my work, please consider subscribing. I write weekly on topics ranging from photography and nostalgia to loneliness and living as an artist. If you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you—feel free to email or comment! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, and I look forward to seeing you next week!