The “Brain Rot” Phenomenon: Is There Still an Audience for Challenging Content?

„Brain rot“ – Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year – captures growing concerns about the overconsumption of trivial, low-effort content. Popularized on TikTok among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the term raises a critical question: Is intellectual engagement on the decline? What does this mean for filmmakers, studios, and distributors striving to create thought-provoking work? Are audiences losing interest in challenging content, or is there an untapped demand for deeper, more meaningful storytelling? This session explores shifting audience behaviors, the rise of short-form entertainment, and strategies for sustaining quality storytelling in a fast-consumption culture.