It's not just boomer-coded: it literally was the viewpoint of the boomers. They saw the wave coming as the unnatural phenomenon it was. We all laughed at the time, and still do, but were they wrong? "All the kids are on their dang phones!" is distinct from brainrot, but the former had to come first.

There's an element of truth to the observation for sure. I don't think they could've known how bad it'd get but they certainly saw the beginning of what being glued to technology has evolved into. People hand-waved it because it was seen as "out of touch" with modern times, rather than a warning.