New York Ranks High In 1st-Ever “Brain Rot Index” Study

A new national study is measuring something called “brain rot” for the first time.

For the first time, “brain rot” has been measured, and it's not looking good for New Yorkers.

New York Ranks Among the Most "Brain-Rotted" States In The Country

Photo by Gaspar Uhas on Unsplash

If you've ever caught yourself doomscrolling at midnight and thought "this can't be good for me," a new study just confirmed your suspicions.

Health and nutrition brand JuicePlus+ reached out to Hudson Valley Post after releasing what's being called one of the first attempts to measure digital overconsumption at a state level.

They're calling it the Brain Rot Index. "Brain rot" was actually named the 2024 Oxford Word of the Year.

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It's defined as the supposed mental or intellectual deterioration resulting from excessive consumption of low-quality online content. Usage of the term surged 230 percent in 2024.

Where New York State Ranks

Juice Plus

According to the study, New York scored a 65.98 out of 100, landing it squarely in the "high" category and sitting about 11 percent above the national average of 59.

New York's high score is driven by a mix of high youth concentration, heavy engagement on platforms and social media, gaming activity, strong digital infrastructure, and some telling search behavior.

New Yorkers are among the highest searchers for terms like "doomscrolling," "phone addiction," and "TikTok addiction," which the researchers flagged as behavioral indicators of the problem.

Our neighbors in New Jersey ranked even worse, coming in 18 percent above the national average.

Photo by Bhautik Patel on Unsplash

The study researched all 50 states across a wide range of factors, including youth population concentration, social media use, video gaming engagement, internet access, content exposure, online search behavior, outdoor activity levels, physical exercise, and teen reading ability.

Utah led the nation for brain rot residents, followed by Louisiana, Texas, California, and Maryland.

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