Do you suffer from brain rot? Is scrolling on your phone for hours at a time the only thing that brings you joy? Well, it might not make you feel better, but it may make you feel less alone to know that people have been experiencing “brain rot” for at least 171 years.

According to Merriam-Webster, the first usage of the term “brain rot” was in Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 book Walden. Thoreau, the famed American writer and naturalist, reflects on his simple life in nature and the impact of removing himself from the distractions of modern society. In modern terms, he writes about the importance of “touching grass.”

The earliest known example of ‘brain rot’ comes from Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 book “Walden.”

“While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”

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— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 27, 2025

The passage in question reads, “While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”

The book is essentially a critique on materialism, with Thoreau’s central thesis being that true fulfillment is found in simplicity and nature.

Clearly, we didn’t heed his warnings.