Effects of technology on intelligence and attention

From: inteligencialtda

The “Limited Intelligence Program” delves into how modern technology and societal shifts are impacting human intelligence and cognitive processes, particularly attention and behavioral development. The discussion is based on current neuroscience and psychology research. [00:00:16]

Pandemic’s Catalytic Role in Mental Health Discussion

The speaker suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated a growing concern for mental health. [00:03:06] Two key factors contributed to this:

• Contextual Strain: The pandemic induced social and financial limitations, forcing people to stay home, which negatively impacted mental well-being. [00:03:35]
• Rise of Podcasts: Podcasts played a crucial role by bringing previously unknown or less-known experts to a wider audience, facilitating conversations about mental health and brain productivity. [00:03:59] This format allows for a more informal and accessible discussion compared to traditional media, reaching audiences who might not engage with conventional sources. [00:06:27]

The “Digital Idiots” Theory and Declining IQ

A French researcher, Michael I Demurge, in his book “The Factory of Digital Idiots,” argues that screens are negatively impacting people’s IQs, causing current generations, particularly children, to become “dumber.” [00:08:12] [00:08:21]

• Paradox of Information: Despite having unprecedented access to information, modern society is experiencing a decline in collective intelligence. [00:09:58]
• “Crushed by Our Own Growth”: This paradox is explained by the idea that humanity is being “crushed by our own growth.” [00:10:21] The abundance of easily accessible technology and digital media has led to a compression of content into smaller time windows (e.g., 15-second videos). [00:10:44]
• Reduced Tolerance for Dense Content: People are developing a lower tolerance for consuming dense content like books. [00:11:12] This makes it difficult to focus on a single task, often leading to multitasking (e.g., watching a football game while on Twitter). [00:12:52]
• Impaired Selectivity: The overwhelming number of options (e.g., 2,000 books on a Kindle, multiple streaming services) makes it harder to choose, leading to analysis paralysis rather than consumption. [00:14:11]

Social Media’s Impact on Attention

Social media platforms like TikTok are designed for maximum immersion, featuring full-screen videos with no borders, encouraging continuous scrolling. [01:17:17] These platforms provide rapid, rewarding, dopaminergic stimuli through diverse scenarios and visually appealing content. [01:17:42] [01:18:03] Research indicates that TikTok can generate peaks of neurotransmitters linked to content fixation, potentially leading to a type of attention “imprisonment.” [01:18:18]

The “Perception of Effort” and Brain Development

The constant exposure to fast, easy content “pampers” the brain, reducing its perceived effort for more challenging tasks. [01:19:21] [01:20:29]

• Brain as a Muscle Metaphor: The brain’s functional part is compared to a muscle; it adapts to the stimuli it receives. [01:20:35]
• Donald Hebb’s Rule: “Neurons that fire together, strengthen together.” [01:21:29] This principle explains how memories and learning are formed: the more a neural pathway is used, the stronger it becomes. [01:22:11]
• Neuroplasticity and Learning: A child’s brain has high neuroplasticity, meaning it can change easily with less effort, making it easier to learn new languages or skills. [01:13:54] [01:16:10] After approximately 25 years old, neuroplasticity becomes “active,” requiring conscious effort and focus to learn new things. [01:18:54]

Overprotection and Behavioral Ineptitude

Overprotection by parents is cited as a significant factor in the dumbing down and behavioral ineptitude of current generations. [02:27:42] [02:29:01]

• Lack of Exposure to Challenges: Children are not being exposed to sufficient challenges, leading to a lack of “behavioral repertoire.” [02:27:13] [02:30:00] This can manifest as an inability to perform simple social tasks (e.g., ordering from a waiter) or fear of failure. [02:29:11]
• Rewarding Effort vs. Outcome: Research shows that praising a child’s effort in studying, rather than just their grade, leads to greater resilience and continued learning even after low grades. [02:29:56] Rewarding only the final product can encourage shortcuts or resignation when goals aren’t met. [02:32:01]
• Consequences of Lack of Exposure: This leads to a low tolerance for frustration, a sense that the world owes them something, and an inability to deal with adversity. [02:27:51] Avoiding mistakes prevents learning and modulating behavior for future success. [02:35:55]

Stress Inoculation and Cortisol Levels

The concept of “stress inoculation” suggests that exposure to small, controlled doses of stress can build resilience against major stressors. [02:36:38]

• HPA Axis and Cortisol: The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is crucial for the body’s stress response, releasing hormones like cortisol. [02:38:43]
• Monkey Studies: Studies on primates showed that monkeys exposed to mild, non-harmful stressors in childhood released less cortisol in adulthood when faced with significant stress. [02:40:20] [02:41:51]
• Modern Implications: Overprotection in childhood prevents this inoculation, leading to higher cortisol peaks in adulthood in response to minor stressors. [02:48:21] This chronic high cortisol is a primary risk factor for depression. [02:48:49]
• Functional Stress: Moderate, short-term stress (e.g., public speaking, job interviews) is beneficial for the organism, but chronic stress is detrimental. [02:55:49]

Social Environment and Behavior Modulation

Human behavior is largely selected by the consequences it generates within a “verbal community” – the people we interact with. [02:58:34] [02:59:43] The environment either punishes or rewards certain behaviors, shaping individual actions and tendencies. [03:01:25] For instance, if a social group values quick rewards and avoids effort, individuals within that group are less likely to pursue long-term goals or complex tasks. [03:06:01]

Evolutionary Incompatibility and Modern Life

The human brain evolved in an environment vastly different from modern society, leading to “evolutionary incompatibility.” [03:07:53]

• Sleep: The brain’s sleep-generating system, regulated by natural light, is incompatible with artificial light at night, contributing to an “insomnia epidemic.” [03:08:05]
• Satiety: The satiety control system, adapted for periods of food scarcity, is incompatible with the modern abundance of high-calorie food, leading to an “obesity epidemic.” [03:09:19]
• Behavioral Skew: Without conscious effort to correct course, human behavior tends towards “non-adaptive” paths driven by immediate gratification, as seen in social media and other digital interactions. [03:09:51]

ADHD and the Digital Age

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences in brain development, specifically reduced dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. [01:20:25] [01:25:38]

• Attention vs. Hyper-attention: Individuals with ADHD don’t necessarily have “little attention” but rather difficulty channeling attention to one place. [01:22:17] Their “attention manager” is “drilled,” allowing parallel stimuli to distract them. [01:22:50]
• Prefrontal Cortex Dysfunction: This brain region, crucial for sustained attention, behavior control, and future planning, has less tonic dopamine in ADHD patients. [01:23:25] [01:26:03] This reduction makes it hard to sustain motivation for tasks and inhibits impulsive behavior (the “brake” of the brain). [01:26:06] [01:28:06]
• Medication: Medications like Venvanse and Ritalin increase dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, restoring the ability to focus and reducing hyperactivity. [01:28:51] While these are stimulants, for ADHD patients, they paradoxically induce calmness by improving the brain’s “brakes.” [01:32:19]
• Modern Context and Diagnosis: The multitasking nature of modern society may be highlighting ADHD symptoms more, leading to an increase in diagnoses. [01:34:25]
• Dopamine Seeking and Hyperfocus: Reduced tonic dopamine can drive ADHD patients to seek other sources of dopamine, leading to higher rates of substance use (smoking, alcohol, drugs) and impulse control problems. [01:35:46] They may also develop “hyperfocus” on behaviors that provide strong dopamine rewards. [01:36:17]

Pornography as an Addiction

Pornography addiction is a growing concern, with its neurological mechanisms mirroring those of other substance addictions. [01:38:05]

• Dopamine and Reward System: Like alcohol or cocaine, pornography consumption stimulates the brain’s reward system, particularly the nucleus accumbens, leading to dopamine release. [01:48:40] [01:49:51]
• Tolerance and Escalation: Consistent engagement with a rewarding behavior causes the brain to form cell circuits that store the “delicious experience.” [01:50:00] Over time, these circuits migrate to the dorsal striatum, the region involved with habits and vices, leading to tolerance and a need for increasingly aggressive or frequent stimuli to achieve the same effect. [01:50:11] [01:51:21]
• Impact on Reality: This can lead to a loss of interest in real-life relationships and activities, as they cannot compete with the “hyper” stimuli of online content. [01:44:05] [01:46:06]
• Similarity to Smoking: The brain of a person with pornography problems functions similarly to a smoker’s brain. Both involve strong associations with daily activities, making it hard to quit due to numerous environmental triggers. [01:57:51]
• Solutions: Similar to other addictions, strategies include avoiding triggers, setting limits on exposure, and seeking professional help (e.g., psychotherapy). [02:00:16]

Recommendations for a Healthier Brain in the Digital Age

• Conscious Exposure: Intentionally expose oneself to small stressors to build resilience and develop a broader behavioral repertoire. [02:27:13] [02:48:21]
• Parental Guidance: Parents should set limits on screen time, especially during meals and before bedtime. [03:02:30] They should also lead by example and educate children on the importance of effort and self-reliance. [03:21:21]
• Sleep Hygiene: Establish routines for optimal sleep by exposing oneself to natural light in the morning, avoiding psychostimulants after 3 PM, and creating a dark, calm environment at night. [02:15:52]
• Manage Social Context: Be mindful of the social environment, as it heavily influences behavior by reinforcing or punishing certain actions. [03:01:25]
• Seek Professional Help: For diagnosed conditions like ADHD or addiction, seeking professional diagnosis and treatment is crucial. [01:36:45] [02:19:40]

The speaker concludes by emphasizing that in today’s world, it has “never been so easy to excel” by simply mastering the basics and showing up on time, as many people are becoming increasingly inept behaviorally due to societal shifts. [03:04:28] [03:04:31]