Classroom Questions

Questions for ‘Got brain rot?’ 

a still frame of a girl wearing headphones on her bed scrolling through a smart phone

The more time you mindlessly scroll through videos or memes, the less you’re spending on meaningful activities, such as studying, sleeping or hanging out with friends. “If you know there's brain rot content ... reduce your dose,” says Kris Perry. “Your time is a precious resource.”

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By Science News Explores

To accompany ‘Got brain rot?’

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

  1. On a typical day, when are you most likely to compulsively scroll through social media or videos? Describe a situation or feeling that makes you more prone to this activity. Do you think compulsive scrolling habits are healthy, neutral or unhealthy? Briefly explain your answer.
  2. List two apps on which you spend a lot of time. On which do you think you spend the most time? Briefly summarize a typical session on this app. What do you start out doing? For instance, do you start by making content, checking messages or some other activity? Finally, think about how you usually end a session. What usually determines when you stop using the app? Describe what you are typically doing on this app as you near the end of a session.
  3. What does it mean for two events to be related by cause and effect? Give an example of two events that share a cause-and-effect relationship. (This example need not be related to the topics in this story.) Which event is the cause? Which is the effect?

During Reading:

  1. List three abilities that can be impaired by consuming too much brain rot, according to Kris Perry.
  2. What does “plasticity” mean in the context of brain science?
  3. In 2021, how many hours a day did the typical kid age 8 to 12 spend looking at a screen? In a 2025 survey, how many U.S. teens reported being online “almost constantly”?
  4. Describe one brain-related reason that kids tend to have poorer impulse control than adults.
  5. How old was Emma Lembke when she joined Instagram? How old was she when she deleted the app for good?
  6. How did Lembke feel after making this change?
  7. What do the letters in the name of the ABCD research project stand for?
  8. State two findings about health and screen time that Jason Nagata’s team reported using data from the ABCD research project.
  9. In the study of brain activity during ChatGPT use, how did kids and adults differ?
  10. What concern was presented in the February 2026 trial described in this story that took place in Los Angeles, Calif.?
  11. Name two groups founded or co-founded by Lembke.

After Reading:

  1. On average, does the typical 16-year-old spend more or less time looking at screens than a typical 10-year-old? Point to evidence from this story to support your answer. Compared to your peers, do you think you spend more, less or about the same amount of time using screens?
  2. Many studies report links — or correlations — between increased screen time and various health issues. On their own, these linkages do not prove that high amounts of screen time caused those health problems. However, this story mentions some studies that suggest a cause-and-effect relationship. Point out one study from this story that provides evidence that increased screen time not only correlates with this health issue but is also likely a cause of it. Explain how the setup of this study provides evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship.
  3. In your own words, explain the purpose — or mission — of the Log Off Movement. Imagine a person chooses to participate in this movement. What is one sacrifice this person might make by participating? What is one immediate benefit this person might gain from making this change? What is one long-term (greater than one year) benefit this person might gain?