The title is deliberate and intended! Brain Rot, Brain Fog, and Digital Dementia have a lot in common! All three concepts have a cognitive aspect, and they are induced, besides various other factors, by excessive dependence on AI-based platforms. I don't mean to be an alarmist, but what is stated is a fact!
While scrolling through a few research papers, I came across one that described a phenomenon called Digital Dementia. It struck me as the most appropriate term that describes those of us who are closely connected to AI and AI-based platforms. Our increasing dependence on AI-based platforms, ChatGPT included, has made us lazy, complacent, and lacking in creativity. We are no longer content creators; rather, we have become content curators!
One might argue that tech advancements have always been viewed with suspicion and doubt. The advent of the calculator made calculations easier, but then, it has also resulted in us forgetting our tables and our ability to do minor everyday calculations like adding, multiplying, and dividing numbers. The invention of the word-processor, desktops, laptops, and tablets has made typing easier, but then this has come at a cost. Most, if not all, word-processing software includes a spell check or autocorrect function that has made things easier. Unfortunately, our ability to spell words correctly has taken a hit.
Advancements in technology are dependent on advancements in software built on algorithms, data, data analysis, and machine learning tools. All of them are driven by AI. Unfortunately, the increasing influence of AI threatens to rob us of our very ability to think, create, analyse, summarize, and critique information. These are critical human skills and abilities that make us different from other life forms, though I would dare say that there are other life forms on earth capable of intelligence! Intelligence is not, after all, only a human capability, although it is soon to be taken over by a new entity!
Digital Dementia leads to cognitive decline, including reduced attention spans, memory issues, and difficulty focusing on tasks, resulting from excessive reliance on digital media and digital devices, such as excessive screen time. The concept, introduced by neuroscientist Manfred Spitzer, is trending today. Other similar concepts trending today are Brain Rot and Brain Fog. Excess dependence on AI has led to Digital Dementia, Brain Rot, and Brain Fog. Brain Fog refers to the clouding of consciousness. This happens when a person is conscious but a bit less aware or wakeful. Such people might appear drowsy or sleepy, and thus they are not able to pay attention when especially in class. More of our students come to class with symptoms associated with Brain Fog. Brain Fog could also be the result of COVID-19 infections exacerbated by excess use of AI. Strange though it may seem, the COVID-19 pandemic had a lot of impact on the cognitive development of children, making them more vulnerable to the damaging effects of excess screen time.
Brain Rot is a more colloquial term for a decline in mental and cognitive abilities caused by excessive consumption of low-quality, trivial content on social media like reels. Reels have a lot to do with Artificial Intelligence, as many of the reels seen on social media have been developed with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, AI now determines what content one watches. Complex algorithms driven by AI analyse viewer patterns and preferences to predict which content will be more likely to be consumed and what will not be consumed. Reels are addictive, and once a person checks out a reel of a particular genre, it is likely that that person will start receiving content of a particular kind. It is indeed a vicious circle, a whirlpool from which there is no escape. Such AI-driven reels have turned the consumers into Dopamine junkies looking for constant hits.
As we struggle with increasing numbers of people suffering from mental health issues, one cannot help but wonder if this is normal or an aberration caused by unnatural exposure to Machine Intelligence. However it is, we are in for a change the likes of which have never been seen in the past. The fourth industrial revolution is going to be a revolution in the true sense!
In a twist of irony, the images in this blog post are AI-generated, so there is no question of copyright!
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