Societal Brain Rot (Clip Media, TikTok, television-sedation)

[IllusiveOwl]

I only indulge every now and then in what is called a "short", but my girlfriend will spend large chunks of time, sometimes hours, on her phone flipping through one clip after another seamlessly on apps like Instagram and TikTok. I can't be near her when she does this because the switch from one narrative to the next, the transition every ten or so seconds, it's jarring and harmful to my mind in a way that I can't really explain too well, it just feels as though my attention-span is being bruised or assaulted in a way that leaves me feeling drained and exhausted. It isn't just her, though, the college I attend is full of people who spend their free time like this on their phones.

Does anyone else see this? What kind of psychological effects on the brain does a stream of disconnected narratives have? Considering so much of the rising generation lives on platforms like these, we should really put some thought into the possible implications this trend has caused. It doesn't stop here either, this just feels like a more distilled and effective version of television, which keeps us all sedated for hours at a time.

 

[Taudefindi]

Does anyone else see this?

Yes.
I personally don't like social medias due to how most of them end up being nothing more than dens of superficiallity and consumerism(TikTok promotes brainrot, Instagram promotes the search for "the perfect picture" and the "influencer lifestyle", Twitter/X is a cesspool of hate-filled people, etc.), though I do admit that some can still have some saving graces(Reddit has communities you can learn things from and Youtube has a lot of tutorials, documentaries and thought-provoking videos...as well as the interesting entertaining ones that are'nt about drama).

What kind of psychological effects on the brain does a stream of disconnected narratives have?

Short attention-span seems to be one of the things.Lack of connection between people since they seem to focus only on the surface level when it comes to relationships may be another, etc.
But those are my points of view, I'm no psychologist to say with certainty.

we should really put some thought into the possible implications this trend has caused.

Remember when suddenly many Kia cars started to get stolen?That was because there was a "challenge" going around about it, if I remember correctly when I read about the story.Teenagers(and probably some adults) that committed crimes all "for TikTok glory"...
A "like" has become a NFT to many of those that indulge a lot in those places.

this just feels like a more distilled and effective version of television

I believe the opposite, this is a shorter but more potent version of a TV.
You can see around you how easier it is for people to fall more into an "attention-hole" when seeing those shorts, than it is when it comes to seeing the TV(be it the news, TV series or even sports).The newer gens are spending more time on those shorts than on TV.

I think some wouldn't even have the patience to watch a simple documentary of 50 minutes or less.

 

[Romolo]

You described it well, IllusiveOwl. The frantic swiping, the insatiable hunger… it can’t be healthy. It destroys the mind and any potential for magical development.

I believe the opposite, this is a shorter but more potent version of a TV.
You can see around you how easier it is for people to fall more into an "attention-hole" when seeing those shorts, than it is when it comes to seeing the TV(be it the news, TV series or even sports).The newer gens are spending more time on those shorts than on TV.

The irony is that, in hindsight, television was quite social. You can watch things together, laugh, comment, or even (as is often the case) just have it play in the background and talk about other stuff.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

You described it well, IllusiveOwl. The frantic swiping, the insatiable hunger… it can’t be healthy. It destroys the mind and any potential for magical development.


The irony is that, in hindsight, television was quite social. You can watch things together, laugh, comment, or even (as is often the case) just have it play in the background and talk about other stuff.

I have found, in the social gatherings I've seen around campus and with my own friends, that many social events can be distilled to watching TV or playing a game in some dimension (digital, physicsl, tabletop, etc). All of them involve very little conversation and actual bonding. Even organized events don't offer wiggle-room for much more interaction, it feels like the blind leading and organizing the blind.

 

[Romolo]

I have noticed the same with board game evenings. You sometimes just sit there waiting your turn, talking in-game mechanics with strangers. But then this maybe forms a great stepping stone for conversation when you move to the kitchen.

At least while playing these games there is “joint attention”. Table top gaming whilst being also on your phone would not be acceptable. According to Tomasello joint attention formed the basic condition for human language and cognition. With the use of the socials there is negation of joint attention, which brings us back to our state before we were homo sapiens, together but separate, knocking with stones against the floor.

 

[8Lou1]

i do it too, with intent. some people dont know privacy. im an odd one out person, so i also wanted to feel like a normy.
the creating privacy part worked for me. i have much less intrusive thoughts these days and now im teaching myself to create a 'wall' without having to scroll and sit on my phone all day.
feeling like a normy, totally didnt work out, although i was able to connect with what one would call 'thats a woman thing' (sometimes the wyrdest thing, like i noticed men start the car, drive and then put their phone in place and women just sit there first arranging everything and then start the car). it took me a lot of scrolling true apps that attract women and apps that have subjects that women like. (theres a difference) the beauty for me about that is that i was able to work on my insecurities about physical appearance without having to be in attack mode all the time.

 

[Not_there]

I think it has to do with multiple facts.

People that engages in technology addiction find a sedation of problems with rapid transition between stories and products because only a large stimuli can overcome a deeper problem.

What I find concerning about this topic is that I think it's a bit unfair when one put all the responsibility on the individual when there's a plethora of reason that might be having an influence over the population, and I'm not saying that people can't control their lives I'm saying that there's a shared responsibility between people that have technology addiction and their surroundings.

First is the Neuroscience of the Consumer, something that's very popular among brands and platforms and it's problematic becuause
manipulates the consumer based on their neurological weakness.

The second thing is that the brain is always searching for things that makes sense, a consistent narrative... And what can offer a consistent narrative in today's world? The outside world is not an option I fear, because everything is always changing, the weather, new fights, new viruses, less money, more problems. What's consistent in today's world is technology because the interface rarely changes, you know what to expect and the brain loves that.

The third thing is physical social connection, we live in a defensive society thay blames people for spending their lifes rooting in front of a computer instead of asking ourselves what's going on in this person life? What has convinced this person that the only way to connect is through social media? What kind of things this person must be facing that the only way they can connect is through social media?

Edit: Btw, sorry x my bad english.

 

[Aeternus]

@IllusiveOwl well, I can for short say... couldn't agree with you more, my friend!!!

The idea is that modern social media like shorts, tik tok, reels, whatever short content is, it promotes a lot of brain damage.

I remember back in my early days in meditation and also psychological training that I was in the moment of taking a short break, as usual, and I went to YouTube to watch some shorts. Wrong decision!

My head hurt like I was working at a huge science project, all because of the shorts!

I personally think that TV is a way to still maintain sociability, and also, despite numerous fake news, to still get informed.

After all, fake news and propaganda edits that you find on some YT shorts, and at such grotesque rates sometimes, is never to be compared to the lesser volume of fake news that is on TV.

 

[Xenophon]

I think it has to do with multiple facts.

People that engages in technology addiction find a sedation of problems with rapid transition between stories and products because only a large stimuli can overcome a deeper problem.

What I find concerning about this topic is that I think it's a bit unfair when one put all the responsibility on the individual when there's a plethora of reason that might be having an influence over the population, and I'm not saying that people can't control their lives I'm saying that there's a shared responsibility between people that have technology addiction and their surroundings.

First is the Neuroscience of the Consumer, something that's very popular among brands and platforms and it's problematic becuause
manipulates the consumer based on their neurological weakness.

The second thing is that the brain is always searching for things that makes sense, a consistent narrative... And what can offer a consistent narrative in today's world? The outside world is not an option I fear, because everything is always changing, the weather, new fights, new viruses, less money, more problems. What's consistent in today's world is technology because the interface rarely changes, you know what to expect and the brain loves that.

The third thing is physical social connection, we live in a defensive society thay blames people for spending their lifes rooting in front of a computer instead of asking ourselves what's going on in this person life? What has convinced this person that the only way to connect is through social media? What kind of things this person must be facing that the only way they can connect is through social media?

Edit: Btw, sorry x my bad english.

I'm a bit sceptical about a few of your points, but your third one does raise an interesting question. Take any addict (chemicals, net, social media, WF, etc.) It's a fair question to ask what he'd be doing if he did not have his addiction of choice. After which, it's another fair question to ask whether we'd prefer him doing that other activity. (Suicide, rioting, "getting a life".) I quit creative writing when I realized it's one helluvan avoidance mechanism. So too, I fear, social media.