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by ben_w 19 days ago
As others on Telegram have said: automated search for visual superstimuli likely leads to bad outcomes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLIT_(short_story)

Also: one of the V3A animations reminds me loosely of things I saw when I was a kid, at night, shortly before I slept (though my experience then was more circular).

7 comments

Or as SCP calls them, cognitohazards.

Also relevant: <https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-math-theory-for-why-people-...>

My understanding is that those who work with the mentally handicapped use bright lights and other stimuli to soothe and control them. It is also my understanding that the autistic are stimulated by vibrant colors (coughcoughMy Little Ponycoughcough).

Who is to say that the rest of us are not also vulnerable to such controlling stimuli?

Bright lights in particular, I'm thinking: yes, normal people do find sunbathing relaxing.
Breaking news: TikTok is bad for you
> one of the V3A animations reminds me loosely of things I saw when I was a kid, at night, shortly before I slept

Hypnagogic hallucinations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

On telegram?
Others on Telegram? Some sort of a HN channel?
How fried does someone's brain have to be to say "others on telegram", as if everyone is in the same chatrooms together? If they're on HN, they should at least know why that doesn't make sense, so I have to assume they're in a deteriorated mental state.

Friendly reminder to touch grass on a regular basis... Even virtual grass in a video game is a good pressure valve for excessive social media use.

Isn't there that one Harry Potter warning. I think it was the potion guy who said too much luck is dangerous. I guess that is somewhat of a parallel to this. Too much positive visual stimuli is dangerous or bad.
There are undoubtedly 'adversarial images' that will induce certain effects in particular biological minds. It seems like this is neither good or bad inherently, just another tool.
So are opioids.

Or how a very useful tool can become a public health catastrophe.