[jeffreportmill1]

This new book explores the complete change we have made in how we raise our kids in the last 30 years:

    The Anxious Generation: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com

It's really been one domino after another: Overprotection, helicoptering, immersive 3D games, 24 hour cartoon channels, internet, smartphones, social media. Our kids are no longer having the social interactions we evolved to need to properly train our brains. He calls it "the great rewiring".

It's a good book - lots of data and research, good analysis and a good plan of action (starting with getting phones out of schools).

[abyssin]

I have only read an interview by the author and while I tend to agree with his analysis, I’m not so enthusiastic about his close ties with the likes of Google, and one of the solutions he offers, which has the undesirable side effect of ending anonymity on the web. Making schools phone-free seems like a great idea, on the other hand.

[benterix]

Could you elaborate on the proposed solution?

[abyssin]

> We ended up selecting five reforms aimed mostly at increasing everyone’s ability to trust the people, algorithms, and content they encounter online:

> 1. Authenticate all users, including bots

> 2. Mark AI-generated audio and visual content

> 3. Require data transparency with users, government officials, and researchers

> 4. Clarify that platforms can sometimes be liable for the choices they make and the content they promote

> 5. Raise the age of “internet adulthood” to 16 and enforce it

From https://www.afterbabel.com/p/ai-will-make-social-media-worse

The “we” includes Eric Schmidt.

[benterix]

> 1. Authenticate all users, including bots

> 5. Raise the age of “internet adulthood” to 16 and enforce it

This is so infeasible and stupid that words fail me.

[AtlasBarfed]

Of course all of these are subject to reproducibility problems and the other associated near-humanities science, but everything you described comes down to one phenomenon:

increasing levels of data flooding and saturation/thresholds

Radio -> TV -> PC/Gaming -> Early Internet -> Mobiles -> Social Media -> VR Headset (inprogress) -> AI-gen content (also in progress) -> Neuralink (cutting edge)

At some point it leads to paranoia and regression. Good intentions are beaten down with advertising and hostile UI patterns.