'Bed-Rotting:' A social media trend that promotes self-care could be troubling if done too often
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Parents, guardians, if you haven't heard of "bed rotting" yet, you need to.
It's a social media trend, especially on TikTok, where young people stay in bed all day.
It's a physical and mental health issue - but while many things get started on social media and fizzle out, this one has taken off.
As it is with so many social media trends, we must begin with a definition...what in the heck is bed-rotting?
"It's kind of like a rejection of productivity culture by doing nothing and taking the time to rest," explained Vanessa Hill, a sleep scientist at BrainCraft.
While we all could use more rest, using it as a tool of avoidance could become an issue.
"I would say bed-rotting can become a problem if you are doing in the context to avoid something," added Dr. Emily Mudd from the Cleveland Clinic's children's department.
"If not done in moderation, or if not done with awareness of how it might affect us in the long run, it can be problematic," said Dr. Rishi Guatam, Chair of Psychiatry at LifeBridge Health.
Bed-rotting is being embraced by Gen Z who say that it is a form of self-care.
"Allowing yourself to do less and telling ourselves that doing less is okay," Hill added.
However, it's not okay if it's avoidance.
"So, maybe you're anxious about something and that's why you're staying in bed or you're avoiding social interactions and you prefer to be socially isolated," Dr. Mudd said.
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"If I find myself needing more and more of this, it is a good, reliable sign that there might be some other problems going on," Dr. Guatam added.
This is why parents and guardians should watch out for repeated bed rotting.
"That is raised for concern, children have social and emotional needs," Dr. Hill explained. "They have activity needs to be out playing with peers, learning, and so those are really important for social-emotional development."
Doctors said it can also lead to physical illnesses like obesity and cardiovascular disease.
While an occasional lazy day is not a problem, if it becomes a habit, where bed is preferred to anything else, that's an issue.
