00:00:28
You know, only about
00:00:29
15% of you will watch this video
through to the end.
00:00:33
Think about that in a few minutes.
00:00:35
Most of you will be gone,
lured away by another notification.
00:00:39
A fresh piece of content,
some shiny new dopamine hit.
00:00:44
And no, I don't blame you.
00:00:45
I get it. Your brain, my brain.
00:00:48
In fact, everyone's brain is in the midst
of a massive rewiring,
00:00:52
we’ve never seen in human history.
00:00:55
It's a pattern that's literally happening
across every social platform.
00:01:00
You know that restless feeling,
that itch to check your phone.
00:01:03
That inability to stay put.
00:01:07
Some call it.
00:01:10
And let me confess something.
00:01:12
I'm making this video because honestly,
lately I've been feeling all of it too.
00:01:17
The same restlessness, that same short
circuit in my inability to read books.
00:01:22
I'm finding it harder to sit
through movies, TV shows, and harder
00:01:26
to simply think I am terrified
of losing this ability.
00:01:30
But I can't quit social media
because it's my job.
00:01:34
So I thought,
what better way to study this phenomenon,
00:01:38
the history, the future,
and why all of it is happening.
00:01:41
And I also share everything that I learned
with all of you guys.
00:01:44
Those who stuck till here.
00:01:45
Thank you so much.
00:01:46
Stick with me for the next 10 minutes
because I'll show you exactly
00:01:50
what's happening inside your head,
why it's happening
00:01:52
and what we can do about it.
00:01:54
It's really important because we feel if
we don't understand how our little ancient
00:01:59
hardware reacts to modern overload,
we risk losing the very capacities,
00:02:04
that’s focus, creativity,
insight that makes us human.
00:02:14
As you're
00:02:14
watching this video, like right now,
your brain is being rewired
00:02:18
entire time, but you understand
exactly what's going on.
00:02:21
You need to look at how our brains evolved
to process information
00:02:25
in the first place.
We're going back in time.
00:02:27
Let me introduce you to the OG human,
the hunter gatherer.
00:02:31
His brain, which is basically
very identical to us, evolved over
00:02:35
hundreds of thousands of years
to do something very specific.
00:02:39
That's pay attention to what matters
and filter out what doesn't.
00:02:44
For example, when he sees a predator
or sees berries, that's his food.
00:02:48
His brain releases dopamine, a chemical
that says, hey, this is important.
00:02:53
Pay attention to this.
00:02:54
But fast forward to 2024.
00:02:57
You know, we still have that
same basic brain architecture.
00:03:00
But now, instead of the occasional
predator that we stumble upon
00:03:03
now and then,
00:03:04
our brains are continuously being flooded
with these same reward chemicals.
00:03:09
Not for finding food or avoiding danger.
00:03:11
But for this, every notification,
every like
00:03:15
every scroll, each one
triggering the same ancient circuitry.
00:03:19
You know, our brains
can't tell the difference
00:03:21
between a crucial survival
cue and a funny cat video.
00:03:25
Both deliver novelty, both release
dopamine.
00:03:27
The result?
00:03:28
A relentless cycle of seeking reward.
00:03:30
But even meaningless content
can feel oddly compelling.
00:03:34
Neuroscientists call our brain’s
adaptability, neuroplasticity.
00:03:38
In simpler times, this slow, careful
rewiring took generations.
00:03:42
But around 2007,
coinciding with the smartphone revolution
00:03:46
and the rise of social media,
this rewiring went into hyperdrive.
00:03:51
Within a decade and a half, we have
trained our brains to crave constant
00:03:54
novelty, fragmenting our attention
and making deep focus feel unnatural.
00:04:00
We're facing what scientists call
a cognitive evolutionary mismatch.
00:04:04
You see our environment change at light
speed.
00:04:08
While our brains still think
we are in the Pleistocene.
00:04:10
You know, I'm
very amused by how stupid yet how smart
00:04:13
our little brains are.
00:04:19
So in the 1960s,
there was this Canadian theorist,
00:04:23
Marshall McLuhan, who famously said,
the medium is the message.
00:04:27
He basically argued that form
of communication shapes
00:04:30
society's
thinking more than the actual content.
00:04:34
And I feel like today,
this couldn't be more relevant.
00:04:36
You see, before we had TV, radio.
00:04:39
But now the media
landscape is dominated by platforms
00:04:43
which are engineered for short bursts
of attention.
00:04:46
Vertical video feeds, 15 second clips.
00:04:48
Trending hashtags.
00:04:49
And all of these platforms
reward engagement above all else.
00:04:54
That means more novelty, more shock,
more instantaneous gratification.
00:04:58
So the message we are receiving
isn't just funny dances or cat names.
00:05:02
The deeper message is that brains should
expect immediate rewards at all times.
00:05:08
And the medium’s
design, endless scrolling, autoplay
00:05:11
infinite content,
conditions are cognitive patterns.
00:05:15
We might think that we have control
over what we watch, we’re choosing what
00:05:18
we watch, but the truth is that
the medium chooses how we think.
00:05:23
And that's
what we're sort of being controlled by.
00:05:25
We're living in a world where attention
is currency, and every swipe
00:05:29
is a micro transaction
in a massive attention economy.
00:05:32
So over time, as platforms capitalize
on this, more and more, it’ll rewire
00:05:36
our neural pathways, making sustained
thought more and more difficult.
00:05:41
And here's another interesting thing
I learned while researching
00:05:43
about content, media and our brains
that I wanted to share with you.
00:05:47
So back in 1976,
the evolutionary biologist
00:05:50
Richard Dawkins introduced the concept
of “memes” in his book “The Selfish Gene”.
00:05:54
If you look at the original
meaning of the word “meme”,
00:05:57
it meant a unit of cultural transmission
spreading from mind to mind.
00:06:01
How genes spread biologically.
00:06:03
But decades later, internet has turned
“meme” into a household word describing
00:06:08
funny images, jokes and viral trends
that replicate endlessly online.
00:06:12
But let's actually pause for a moment
and think about what “memes” represent
00:06:18
tiny packets of
00:06:19
information that spread
at the speed of light.
00:06:23
Means today are often low
context, high on emotional punch.
00:06:27
They are cultural shorthand, intellectual
popcorn transmitted in seconds.
00:06:32
And you know, Gen
Z and Gen Alpha have entire vocabularies
00:06:36
born not from books or lived experiences,
but from memes and viral references.
00:06:41
“Shawty”, “blud”, like,
that's good, that's rizz.
00:06:45
It's rizz right there.
00:06:46
Mad lit, on God on God, no cap.
00:06:48
Skibidi
Toilet, Gyatt, Ohio, Fanum Tax, Rizz.
00:06:51
This is literally
how teenagers are talking right now.
00:06:54
You know, there are random songs
that are going viral on the internet.
00:06:57
Slangs like “moye-moye”.
00:06:59
These micro cultural phenomena,
they spread
00:07:02
instantly umoored
from geography, history or depth.
00:07:06
And if you think about it, it's
not just the audience.
00:07:09
Even brands are adapting to this shift
to look more relatable to the audience.
00:07:13
Welcome to the Goated Ganga Gurukulam.
00:07:16
We have got the squad, the energy,
00:07:20
we are the OG.
00:07:21
The drip check on the point.
00:07:23
Tech level, low key
top tier hit different.
00:07:27
I feel like Dawkins’ idea of a “meme”
as a cultural
00:07:31
replicator, has actually become
supercharged in the digital age.
00:07:35
Memes now are shaping our worldview
are inside jokes are language,
00:07:40
the way we talk, our values,
without us ever slowing down to reflect.
00:07:45
Yes, they're fun, they're fast,
and they reinforce a new neural wiring
00:07:49
that's quick hits of amusement,
then on to the next thing.
00:07:53
You know, if you look at the repercussion
of all of it on the younger generations,
00:07:56
Gen Z and Gen Alpha,
the result is unprecedented.
00:08:00
Teachers say their students struggle
to focus on a single lesson.
00:08:04
Kids were born into this era of iPads
and iPhones at the age 2,
00:08:08
have neural pathways
shaped by infinite feeds from day one.
00:08:13
Studies show declining reading rates,
reduced tolerance for slower media
00:08:16
like long form
journalism, documentary films,
00:08:20
and an impatience with anything
that isn't immediately stimulating.
00:08:24
And it's all quite concerning,
because as we change our neural
00:08:27
architecture, our neural pathways,
mental health professionals have noticed
00:08:32
increases in anxiety, restlessness
and the inability to handle boredom.
00:08:37
You know, boredom, once
the crucible of creative thought
00:08:41
is now treated like it's a disease.
00:08:42
Why sit and daydream
when we can instantly check social media?
00:08:46
Why reflect upon anything in the world
when social
00:08:49
algorithms promise
something entertaining right now?
00:08:52
This is essentially what we are calling
brain rot, the Oxford Dictionary
00:08:58
word of the year, is this profound shift
on how we process information.
00:09:03
Instead of building deep conceptual
understanding of anything, we skip
00:09:07
along the surface of data streams.
00:09:09
Instead of remembering what we saw,
00:09:11
we rely on the internet
as an external hard drive.
00:09:14
Instead of forming stable
dopamine baselines
00:09:17
where normal activities
can also be satisfying,
00:09:20
we are perpetually chasing
micro doses of digital dopamine.
00:09:24
And to be honest, there is another side
to this, another side that we can pick.
00:09:29
You know, instead of mindlessly scrolling,
what if we use the internet
00:09:32
to learn something genuinely valuable?
00:09:35
Now, I know it's also easy
to blame the platform for a distraction,
00:09:38
but we need to remember that
it's also a very powerful enabler.
00:09:41
Without it, some of the biggest companies
in the world wouldn't exist.
00:09:45
And even me, I own much of my career
to the internet learning skills
00:09:49
outside traditional college, connecting
with people and building businesses.
00:09:53
All of it happened online.
00:09:55
In this hyper competitive world,
the right content,
00:09:58
right
resources, can also help you stand out.
00:10:01
With just a few clicks,
00:10:02
you can learn almost anything, sharpen
your abilities, and gain real leverage.
00:10:07
Of course, navigating this crowded
digital landscape isn't always easy.
00:10:11
That's why we want to guide
you towards something truly worthwhile.
00:10:14
If you are a developer
or aspiring to become one, IBM
00:10:17
Skills Build has amazing
online courses designed just for you.
00:10:21
With expert led training and flexible
learning options, IBM Skills
00:10:25
Build provides practical, real world
skills that top employers are looking for.
00:10:30
One such course that I found to be
interesting is build your first Chat bot.
00:10:34
In this course you learn the steps
to create conversational chatbots
00:10:38
that can understand
and respond to natural language.
00:10:40
You dive into the fundamentals
of Natural Language Processing,
00:10:44
or NLP and discover
how to apply them to real world scenarios.
00:10:48
By the end of it,
00:10:49
you will be able to build a chat bot
that offers options and suggestions
00:10:53
using both pre-built and custom
conversations to generate engaging dialog.
00:10:57
And I'll tell you the best part
you can access the course for absolutely
00:11:01
free on IBM Skills Build platform,
and you don't have to spend days on it.
00:11:06
All it takes
is just one hour of your time.
00:11:08
Be sure to enroll, complete the course,
00:11:10
and share your digital stickers online
with the hashtag IBM skills.
00:11:14
But if you are interested
and want to check out the course,
00:11:17
I'm putting a link in the description
below, now back to the video.
00:11:24
I have a question for you.
00:11:25
Have you ever thought
about how our memories form?
00:11:28
You know our brain, it basically forms
memories through repeated attention.
00:11:33
Now, of course,
this is a little more simplified,
00:11:35
but when we focus deeply, the hippocampus
00:11:39
consolidates
new information into long term storage.
00:11:42
But here's another thought for you.
00:11:43
What if we never concentrate long enough?
00:11:46
What if every 30 seconds we interrupt
ourselves with a notification?
00:11:49
Our brain
never gets the chance to encode a memory.
00:11:53
The result?
00:11:54
Just in time memory, where we trust Google
or social feeds to provide
00:11:58
answers on demand.
00:11:59
The brain literally just goes like
00:12:00
why store any knowledge
when it's all just a click away?
00:12:03
Dopamine, again, our favorite
neurotransmitter, is at the heart of this.
00:12:08
Each swipe, each tap or click can trigger
a small dopamine release.
00:12:12
Reinforcing this habit. It’s
basically like a slot machine.
00:12:15
Maybe the next pull
will deliver something amazing.
00:12:18
And this intermittent reinforcement
is highly addictive.
00:12:21
Training us for shallowness.
00:12:22
Neuroscientist Nicholas Carr
once warned in his book “The Shallows”
00:12:26
that the internet changes not only what
we think about, but how we think.
00:12:30
And honestly, today
that warning feels like.
00:12:33
The attention
economy, companies monetizing
00:12:37
every second of your gaze.,
has economic implication as well.
00:12:41
You know, productivity suffers
when we can't sustain focus,
00:12:44
creativity declines
when we never let our minds wander.
00:12:47
And if you think about the second order
effect of all of this, countries itself
00:12:51
depend on citizens
who can grapple with complex issues,
00:12:54
think critically and consider
multiple viewpoints.
00:12:57
But how will we do all of it
00:12:58
if we are trained to consume
content in tiny, disjointed snippets?
00:13:03
You know, as we become more distractible,
we risk losing our competitive advantage.
00:13:07
True innovation emerges from deep work,
from extended periods
00:13:11
of uninterrupted thought.
00:13:13
And if we can't tolerate silence
or complexity, you might struggle to solve
00:13:16
any big problems
when there's so much to solve.
00:13:19
All of the problems that we face right now
globally, they all require
00:13:23
sustained attention,
not a flurry of half read headlines.
00:13:27
So the question is, what do we do?
00:13:29
Are we doomed to become shallow,
restless scrollers.
00:13:32
Well, there's some good news.
00:13:34
You know, neuroplasticity actually works
both ways.
00:13:37
Just how we adapted to this
high dopamine environment.
00:13:40
We can also adapt to the alternative.
00:13:42
We can retrain our brains.
00:13:44
But of course, it's not going to be easy.
00:13:46
It's going to be like building muscle
after years of being a couch potato.
00:13:50
It takes a lot of intentional effort, and
00:13:53
I think the very first step
is just recognizing the problem
00:13:56
and having awareness
and some intentionality towards fixing it.
00:14:00
I'll tell you some things that I've been
trying that have work for me.
00:14:03
First is essentially just admitting
that this is something I need to fix.
00:14:06
Second is progressive overload
for attention.
00:14:09
If you’ve trained your brain to watch
15 second reels every day,
00:14:13
don't expect to read a heavy 500 page book
right away.
00:14:16
Start small, 5 minutes of focus reading,
then 10, then 20.
00:14:21
Over time you will build mental endurance.
00:14:23
Your concentration muscles strengthens
with incremental challenges.
00:14:27
Second is environmental design,
which has really, really helped me.
00:14:30
You know, our environment
nudges our behavior.
00:14:33
So if your phone is always on your desk,
you will grab it.
00:14:36
If you put it in another room when you're
working or when you're studying.
00:14:40
If you use website blockers,
or add a lot of friction
00:14:43
to access infinite content,
that could work for you.
00:14:46
Basically, what we have to do is make
focus the path of least resistance,
00:14:50
but make distraction
a path with a lot of resistance.
00:14:54
Next is just rebalancing
the dopamine little bit.
00:14:56
You know,
00:14:57
I've started setting aside periods,
maybe 30 minutes in a day or maybe two.
00:15:01
Not in a day where I just sit
and literally do nothing stimulating.
00:15:06
No phone, no TV, no podcast,
no YouTube, nothing.
00:15:10
But I feel like
00:15:11
if you push through your brain
somewhere, resets this dopamine baseline.
00:15:15
After a few weeks, reading a book
or just having a slow conversation
00:15:19
can feel rewarding again.
And this isn't pseudo science.
00:15:22
Neuroscientists have confirmed
that reducing stimulus overload
00:15:25
can restore your capacity for deep focus.
00:15:28
And lastly, it's just mindful consumption.
00:15:30
Next time you watch a video
or read an article, reflect afterward.
00:15:35
What did I learn?
00:15:36
How does it connect to what I know?
00:15:37
I think a lot of schools and institutions
00:15:39
also need to start
thinking about this problem.
00:15:41
Something that schools might need to start
teaching is attention literacy.
00:15:45
Addressing the problem with students.
00:15:47
Employers could incentivize
deep work over constant slack pings.
00:15:52
I feel like platforms
also somewhere should start considering
00:15:55
more humane design principles,
00:15:56
less infinite scroll, and concentrated
more towards conscious pausing.
00:16:01
And as consumers,
00:16:01
we can definitely demand better interfaces
that respect our cognitive limits.
00:16:06
So if there's somebody
who has stuck with me till here,
00:16:08
you are part of the 15%.
00:16:11
You've demonstrated that
00:16:12
with intention and interest,
we can resist the pull of endless novelty.
00:16:17
I would like to leave you guys
with a few closing thoughts.
00:16:19
Remember, 100,000 years ago, our ancestors
00:16:22
learned to pay attention
selectively for survival.
00:16:25
But today, survival might depend
on relearning how to pay attention deeply.
00:16:31
We don't have to reject technology.
00:16:32
But you must insist that things
that makes us human
00:16:35
focus, memory,
creativity are worth protecting.
00:16:39
So after this video ends,
try not to click away immediately.
00:16:42
Sit quietly for a minute.
00:16:43
Let the information settle.
00:16:45
Ask yourself, what resonated with me?
00:16:48
What can I do differently tomorrow?
00:16:50
I feel like this small act of
intentional reflection fights brain rot.
00:16:54
It reclaims a piece of your neural
real estate from the infinite scroll.
00:16:59
And lastly,
I have a small request from all of you.
00:17:02
If you are somebody
who has gone through this and fought
00:17:05
this and are taking intentional action,
00:17:09
or if you’ve found some things
that have worked for you, please, please,
00:17:12
please do
share them in the comments below.
00:17:14
I would love to read it.
00:17:16
I feel like it will also be valuable
00:17:17
for all the other people
who are watching this video.
00:17:20
Yeah, that's about it.
00:17:22
My name is Achina
Mayya. Thank you so much for watching.
00:17:24
Please
don't forget to hit the subscribe button
00:17:26
and please share this video with your friends and family, if you found it valuable.
![Why the Market CRASHED Today | Meet Kevin Report [Jan 7].](https://ruhnrawpgxrzdrgaohnf.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/video/95lS_jVJkgU/thumbnail.jpg)
