Erm what the sigma, holy gyatt! It is said that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime. In this generation if you give a baby an iPad you entertain them for a day, but if you teach a baby to use the iPad it will ruin the reward circuitry, which is the ability to form relationships and attention span for a lifetime. Generation Alpha will be the first generation who will never know what life was like before smartphones and social media. And I'm not talking about Nokia phones, I'm talking about the end stream of stimulation that the iPad and other modern-day smart devices offer. What does this mean for the future of civilizations and humanity? How are we already starting to see these effects spill into reality today?

The idea of giving children electronics, I genuinely disapprove of. There is more in life than spending your time looking at an electronic device, just go outside and touch grass. Instead of wasting one-fourth of your life, you can spend it to create a memorable childhood memory.

I do not hate children using electronic devices for entertainment, but seeing them grow up to be dependent on them, it bugs me off. When seven- or nine-year-olds are scrolling through TikTok or YouTube for entertainment that leads to an hour at a time, that will become an issue.

This leads to brain rot. The unnecessary information or media forming in the brain of an individual. This is not only applied to children but also to those who are chronically online. Due to the new wave of short-form content, low attention spans were created, constant recurring use of internet slang, and a lack of personality. As much as I hate to see it, I am also a victim of it due to the social media that I used, which is Instagram. All the slang words I use and all the jokes I reference come straight from the Instagram reels I consumed to my brain in the form of brain rot.

My childhood memory is important and memorable to me, seeing children being so consumed by the technology and bringing it everywhere they will go, it saddens me. Well, it is not their fault growing up in this generation, the new media age. But in my perspective, they are way too young to be consumed by technology because this may affect them later in their life.

It is our responsibility as future parents and young leaders to serve as role models for the young and to demonstrate to them the world beyond a screen. For children to be imaginative when playing with their toys, to get messy while playing outside, or to engage in arts & crafts. I think it's important to provide the kids of today with the same childhood we had to let them grow with an open mind on their surroundings and know the importance of life, spending it to build relationships with others as young as they are.

References

RandomBoy (2024). Gegagedigedagedago [1 Hour] (thumbnail image). https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=GzyoMODgudE

Schneider, R. (2024). Generation Brain Rot https://www.hercampus.com/school/sbu/generation-brain-rot/

Hastings, C. (2024). The iPad Baby Epidemic: A Generation Of Brainrot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhUc9r_wPNA