AI Making Brain Rot: Professor Shiri Melumad of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania conducted an interesting experiment. He asked 250 people to write advice to a friend to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Some were allowed traditional Google searches while others were only allowed to use AI-generated summaries.

The result was shocking. Using AI, the participants gave very simple and shallow advice like eat healthy, keep drinking water, get good sleep. Whereas traditional searchers thought deeply and focused on the balance between physical, mental and emotional health. Melumad said, “To be honest, I am scared. Especially for the youth who no longer know how to do traditional searches.”

What is brain rot?

According to a report by The New York Times, the term brain rot has now become a reality of the digital age. It refers to the mental state that occurs when a person is constantly surrounded by low-quality online content. In 2024, Oxford University Press declared Brain Rot as the word of the year. This meant that apps like TikTok and Instagram had made people addicted to short, mindless videos that were slowly numbing the brain.

Effect on ability to study and understand

Recently, a huge decline was recorded in the reading and comprehension skills of children in America. Researchers believe that this is directly related to the excessive use of AI and social media. A study conducted by Dr. Jason Nagata of the University of California, San Francisco found that children who used social media more than 3 hours a day had a marked decline in memory, reading, and vocabulary. Every additional hour of scrolling was taking them away from books and sleep.

Why does the brain stop working while writing with AI?

In a research by MIT, 54 students were divided into three groups. One group took help from ChatGPT, the second from Google Search, and the third wrote on their own without any technology.

The results were surprising: ChatGPT users had the lowest brain activity level. And when a minute later they were asked whether they could remember any sentence from their essay, 83% of the students could not remember a single line. On the other hand, those who wrote themselves or searched through Google remembered many parts of their article.

MIT researcher Natalia Kosmina said, “If you can’t remember what you’ve written, are you really understanding it?”

Silent damage of social media

In the last few years, many states of America have started banning mobile phones in schools. The reason for this is that apps like TikTok and Instagram are distracting the students. Every hour spent on social media is taking children away from reading, thinking and spending time with family.

What is the solution?

Experts say that giving up technology completely is not the solution but balanced use is necessary. Designate screen-free zones for children, such as the bedroom and dining table. Use social media in limited time and try to connect it with studies or creativity. Use AI as a supporting tool, not as a replacement for thinking.

Melumad says that AI has turned the process of discovery and understanding into a passive habit. Therefore, it would be better that you first think, write on your own and then improve it with the help of ChatGPT or any AI tool, just like a student first solves a math problem on his own and later checks it with a calculator.

AI and social media are an important part of our lives, but when they start weakening our thinking ability, then it is a warning sign. If we use these techniques thoughtfully, they can make our mind rich and not rotten.

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