A.I. and Social Media Contribute to 'Brain Rot'

Historical “Brain Rot” vs. New Intensities

• Several comments argue that mass media has always “rotted brains” (radio panics, TV ads, Iraq-war hype), so AI/social media are another step in a long trend.
• Others counter that the scale, automation, personalization, and 24/7 reach of platforms and AI make the current situation qualitatively worse than legacy media or print.
• There’s disagreement whether globalized propaganda is better or worse than a few local, overtly biased outlets.

Algorithms, Enshittification, and Attention Harvesting

• Many describe Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as increasingly hostile: ads injected into comments, deceptive UI, low‑effort and violent content dominating feeds, and recommendation defaults pushing outrage, fear, or sexualized material.
• Long‑form, community‑oriented discussion is seen as squeezed out by engagement metrics; some say even “niche” platforms like HN are not immune, just less optimized for addiction.

AI Sludge, Rage-Bait, and Misinformation

• Multiple anecdotes of AI‑generated images and stories (cute animals, surreal memes, racial stereotypes, fake welfare recipients) being used to farm engagement and sell products or push politics.
• Many users don’t notice or don’t care that content is AI; some can no longer reliably distinguish real from fake, even when trying.
• Concern that “cultural antibodies” will lag behind each new manipulation technique, especially for children and less media‑literate users.

AI and Cognitive Atrophy

• Strong worry that LLMs encourage outsourcing thought, research, writing, and argumentation, leading to “reaction not reflection.”
• Analogies to writing, calculators, cars, dishwashers: tools both empower and atrophy unused skills; the question is whether the trade‑off is worth it.
• Some report AI enabling them to tackle more complex projects and learn new domains; others say the more they use AI, the less value they see and the more they distrust it.

Education, Skills, and Search

• Anxiety that students using ChatGPT for homework and teachers using it for grading produce a “bots talking to bots” system and graduates who can’t think on their feet.
• Debate over whether worrying about “traditional Google search” skills is valid, given how degraded search has become.
• Speculation that future hiring might favor those trained before ubiquitous LLMs, though this is acknowledged as speculative.

Coping Strategies and Alternatives

• Some commenters have quit or sharply limited social media and report feeling noticeably better.
• Suggestions: treat social media as a dangerous “digital narcotic,” avoid algorithmic feeds, use AI only as an assistive tool (“show me how,” not “do it for me”), and consciously prioritize offline activity and original thinking.