After last week's announcement that Phil Collins might give up touring because live concerts are ruining his voice, doctors are counseling stars about the dos and don'ts of voice care.
I don't think middle schoolers are suffering from brain rot, because younger generations always latch on to new slang as a way to build identity, and their older generations always say, " Ah, you're ruining the language."
It means taking on the burden of telling others where we stand and ruining their afternoon or month in order to save their long-term future and our own.