Systematic Journal Review: Literasi Kritis sebagai Strategi Menghadapi Brain Rot pada Anak Remaja Awal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55123/sosmaniora.v5i1.7604Keywords:
Brain Rot, Critical Literacy, Digital Well-Being, Early Adolescents, Literacy EducationAbstract
The rapid development of digital technology and the high intensity of social media consumption among early adolescents have contributed to the emergence of brain rot, which negatively affects cognitive functioning. This condition highlights the urgency of examining critical literacy as an educational strategy to strengthen adolescents’ cognitive resilience. This study aims to systematically analyze the role of critical literacy in addressing brain rot among early adolescents based on recent scientific evidence. This study employed a systematic journal review design guided by the PRISMA framework. Relevant articles were retrieved from multiple international and national databases using strict inclusion criteria. A total of ten primary studies were analyzed through thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that excessive digital media consumption is associated with decreased attention, memory impairment, and shallow cognitive engagement among early adolescents. Critical literacy was found to enhance reflective and evaluative thinking as well as awareness of algorithmic manipulation in digital media. Moreover, the integration of critical literacy supports improved self-regulation and cognitive resilience. In conclusion, critical literacy represents an effective preventive and corrective strategy in addressing brain rot among early adolescents.
Downloads
References
Adam, N. L., & Cik Soh, S. (2025). The cognitive consequences of digital addiction: Exploring the phenomenon of “brain rot.” Journal of Information System and Technology Management (JISTM), 10(39), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.35631/JISTM.1039008
Arkan, Z., & Bal, M. (2025). The relationship between school-age students’ literacy skills and digital well-being: A systematic review. BMC Psychology, 13, 1240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03573-4
Cappella, J. N. (1997). Behavioral and Judged Coordination in Adult Informal Social Interactions: Vocal and Kinesic Indicators. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(1), 119–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.119
Chourio-Acevedo, L., Köhler, J., Coscarelli, C., Gacitúa, D., Proaño-Ríos, V., & González-Ibáñez, R. (2024). Information literacy development and assessment at school level: A systematic review of the literature.
Clemente-Suárez, V. J., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Herrero-Roldán, S., Rodriguez-Besteiro, S., Martínez-Guardado, I., Martín-Rodríguez, A., & Tornero-Aguilera, J. F. (2024). Digital device usage and childhood cognitive development: Exploring effects on cognitive abilities. Children, 11(11), 1299. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111299
Cobelli, N., Cassia, F., & Donvito, R. (2023). Pharmacists’ attitudes and intention to adopt telemedicine: Integrating the market-orientation paradigm and the UTAUT. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122871
Costa, C., & Oliver, M. (2025). Young people and digital literacy learning: Co-producing critical citizenship practices. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2025.2593611
Crone, E. A., & Konijn, E. A. (2018). Media use and brain development during adolescence. Nature Communications, 9, 588. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x
Ghamrawi, N., Shal, T., Ghamrawi, N. A. R., Abu-Tineh, A., Alshaboul, Y., & Alazaizeh, M. A. (2025). A step-by-step approach to systematic reviews in educational research. European Journal of Educational Research, 14(2), 549–566. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.14.2.549
Harsanto, E., Yunike, & Kusumawaty, I. (2025). Brain rot and focus disorders survey: Impact of consumption of TikTok and Instagram Reels content on teenagers. International Journal Scientific and Profesional (IJ-ChiProf), 4(3), 593–600. https://doi.org/10.56988/chiprof.v4i3.103
Hidayat, R., & Wangid, M. N. (2025). Phenomenology: Brain rot in Gen Z reviewed from the perspective of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach. World Psychology, 4(1), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.55849/wp.vxix.xxx
Hidayat Saulatu, R., & Dwi Gunawan, A. (2022). Pembuatan Web Sekolah dengan Konsep Modern untuk Meningkatkan Layanan Informasi di SMKN 3 Makassar. Jurnal Lepa-Lepa Open, 2(2), 388–404.
Loveland, K. L. (2022). Effects of excessive student technology usage on student cognitive engagement [Lindenwood University]. https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations/325
Mulyawan, B., Halawa, S. Y., Kevin, R., & Winata, F. (2018). Keseimbangan Implementasi Penegakan Hukum Keimgirasian Antara Pro Justisia Dengan Tindakan Administratif Keimigrasian (Tak) (The Balance Of Implementation Between Projustitia And Immigration Administration Action). In 119 | JIKK | (Vol. 1, Issue 2). https://news.detik.com/berita/d-3442963/14425-imigran-ilegal-penuhi-indonesia-ini-langkah-pemerintah
Nagata, J. M., Otmar, C. D., Shim, J., Balasubramanian, P., Cheng, C. M., Li, E. J., Al-Shoaibi, A. A. A., Shao, I. Y., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., Kiss, O., He, J., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Social media use and depressive symptoms during early adolescence. JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e250397. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0397
Naik, V. S., Mathias, E. G., Krishnan, P., & Jagannath, V. (2025). Impact of social media on cognitive development of children and young adults: A systematic review. BMC Pediatrics, 25, 826. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-025-06041-5
Ofcom. (2025). Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/childrens/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2025/
Poles, A. (2025). Impact of social media usage on attention spans. Psychology, 16(6), 760–772. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2025.166042
Shofiyyah, N. A., & Ulum, M. (2025). Digital literacy and critical thinking in adolescents: A literature review. Jurnal Basicedu, 9(5), 1585–1593. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v9i5.1857
Siraj, Z. (2024). The impact of information presentation on teenagers’ comprehension: A battle to degrade brain rot. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 59(4), 51754–51756. https://doi.org/10.26717/BJSTR.2024.59.009332
Tkácová, H., Pavlíková, M., Stranovská, E., & Králik, R. (2023). Individual (non) resilience of university students to digital media manipulation after COVID-19 (case study of Slovak initiatives). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1605. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021605
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
Widiastuti, N., Soeharto, T. N. E. D., & Purnamasari, S. E. (2024). Kesejahteraan psikologis pada remaja dengan orangtua bercerai: Dapatkah ditingkatkan dengan pelatihan memaafkan? Persona:Jurnal Psikologi Indonesia, 12(2), 85–103. https://doi.org/10.30996/persona.v12i2.8216
Wilcockson, T. D., Osborne, A. M., & Ellis, D. A. (2019). Digital detox: The effect of smartphone abstinence on mood, anxiety, and craving. Addictive Behaviors, 99, 106013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.06.002
Zacharis, G., & Nikolopoulou, K. (2022). Factors predicting University students’ behavioral intention to use eLearning platforms in the post-pandemic normal: an UTAUT2 approach with “Learning Value.” Education and Information Technologies, 27, 12065–12082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11116-2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Switia Dewi Quraisyin, Eva Leiliyanti, Siti Gomo Attas

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
























