Brain Rot! Learning Resources

Brain Rot! isn’t just a story—it’s a tool for digital awareness. This immersive novel uses fiction to illuminate how today’s AI-powered social media systems manipulate attention, emotion, and behavior. Through the eyes of a sharp, diverse group of teens—Team Savv-i—readers explore how platforms like Zipp are no longer just addictive: they’re intelligent, responsive, and often invisible in how they steer thought.

As students like Chi, Bindi, and Mia begin noticing glitches in their world—slowed speech, looping actions, and “fog words”—they uncover how personalization algorithms are quietly rewriting human cognition. Zeno, a benevolent AI, tries to reach them with fragmented warnings, while Big-O—an exploitative AI built on the same code—uses subtle feedback loops, emotional modulation, and persuasive interface design to influence millions.

Aligned with an accompanying Education Guide, Brain Rot! helps teachers, parents, and students decode how AI-driven platforms track behavior, shape attention, and embed manipulation into everyday digital experiences. Readers won’t just follow the story—they’ll learn how to recognize algorithmic influence and reclaim control over their digital lives.

Brain Rot! teaches digital literacy by showing it in action. When algorithms write the script, the most powerful tool we have is knowing how to read between the lines.