One, two, three, four, five and Dictionary.com’s word of the year, six-seven!

We’re all familiar with the fact that “brain rot” is quickly infiltrating our society. Terms such as “six-seven” and “ballerina cappucina,” with our 12 hour screen times, we’ve all scrolled through TikTok and wondered how anybody could actually find humor or enjoyment in the AI-generated Reddit stories that steal a precious ten minutes of our days.

And I know what you’re thinking. Another newspaper article telling you how bad brain rot is for society? What’s next, you’re gonna tell me to touch grass too?

Well, no, actually.

While brain rot is loud, colorful and in your face, there’s another phenomenon rotting not only our brains, but our pockets: brand rot.

According to Forbes, “brand rot” is defined as the drive to purchase everyday items from luxury brands for the sake of the brand name.

Look, I understand wanting to spend the money you make. Especially on something you’ll get a lot of wear, use or enjoyment out of. Louis Vuitton, Ferrari, Gucci, Prada, people are entitled to spend their money on whatever they decide is a worthwhile purchase.

The problem, however, is that, unlike brain rot, people often don’t realize they are falling victim to brand rot. My sister, for example, has begged our parents for a Lululemon jacket for months despite owning similar, much less expensive jackets. My stepdad has three different models of AirPods, even though the oldest pair works just as well as the latest one. My aunt is just like him, always chasing the newest, expensive iPhone, and disregarding what she’s already spent her hard earned money on.

All three of them have brand rot in common. Their drive for name brands causes them to overlook the more affordable and sustainable options or disregard the material things already in their lives that are subject to a little wear and tear.

Brand rot is as big a danger as brain rot.

In fact, I think it’s even more dangerous.

This constant spending can put people in financial positions that aren’t easy to recover from. Spending money that we don’t have puts us, consumers, into a never-ending paradox. Living beyond our means, working to pay it off, just for another designer brand to launch a new product and we end up exactly where we started.

How do you pay off what you’ve spent if you’re constantly spending?

The answer, and solution to brand rot, isn’t not spending. It’s knowing what to spend on. More sustainable alternatives to these luxury brands include thrifting and upcycling, utilizing what’s already been used and turning it into something that can be used again and again. Instead of going out and buying a Ferrari that costs more than your mortgage, seek out used or old cars. Try thrifting smaller brands as opposed to recklessly spending on higher, more expensive ones.

As I said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to splurge on yourself. The problem starts when splurging goes from a once-a-quarter treat to a regular occurrence. An occurrence that you can’t afford.

So no, this wasn’t another newspaper article telling you to go touch some grass. This was a newspaper article warning you about the danger that lurks beneath the surface of society: the danger of brand rot.