The phenomenon of brain rot, characterized by a decline in cognitive function due
to excessive consumption of shallow digital content such as short videos, is
increasingly found among late adolescents. This period represents a critical stage of
development marked by growing independence and intensive media exploration.
Paternal involvement in parenting is presumed to have a protective role in
adolescents' digital behavior, but its relevance to brain rot remains underexplored.
This study aims to examine the relationship between father involvement and the
level of brain rot in late adolescents. A correlational quantitative method was
employed. The participants consisted of 151 late adolescents (aged 18–21) selected
through purposive sampling. The instruments used were two scales: a father
involvement scale and a brain rot scale developed based on eight cognitive functional
aspects. Data analysis was conducted using Karl Pearson correlation due to the
non-normal distribution of the data. The results showed no significant relationship
between father involvement and brain rot (r = -0,010; p = 0,908). These findings
indicate that father involvement does not have a direct contribution to the level of
brain rot in late adolescents.