A new nationwide index has mapped “brain rot” levels across all 50 U.S. states — ranking where digital overstimulation is most and least prevalent. The analysis, developed by researchers at health and nutrition brand JuicePlus+, looks at behavioural, demographic and digital indicators to estimate relative levels of “brain rot” — the viral term used to describe mental fatigue linked to overconsumption of low-quality online content.
Michigan scores high for brain rot relative to other states, scoring 71.41/100 on the national Brainrot Index.
States with scores between 60-79 are considered to display high brainrot intensity. The analysis places Michigan 12 points above the national average score of 59, with over 60% of states falling into high or very high categories overall.
The index analyzed all 50 states across factors such as youth population concentration, social media use, video gaming engagement, internet access, content exposure, search behaviour, outdoor activity, physical exercise and teen reading ability levels. All of the data was used to create an index that uses a weighted combination of behavioural, demographic, environmental, digital and lifestyle indicators to compare where digital overstimulation appears most pronounced — and where protective factors are strongest.
Across the entire U.S. young adult population (18–34), time spent on platforms like TikTok,
Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat now adds up to more than 23,000 years every single day — highlighting the scale of digital exposure behind these rankings — and a potential warning for Michigan and other high-ranking states where many of the same high-exposure digital habits are already most concentrated.
See where your state compares to others in the full index: https://us.juiceplus.com/
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. The index is designed to compare relative levels of digital overstimulation across states and does not constitute a clinical diagnosis.