AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Amid the accelerating expansion of social media platforms and digital communication tools, technology and sociology experts are warning that the overabundance of information is increasingly becoming a disruptive force in the genuine process of knowledge acquisition, exposing modern societies to what some describe as a form of collective cognitive distortion.
According to this perspective, the uninterrupted flow of messages, images, and data distributed through platforms such as WhatsApp, X, and Facebook has, rather than enhancing awareness, contributed to widespread distraction and superficial patterns of thought. Modern individuals, analysts argue, have become immersed in an environment dominated by exaggeration, instant messaging, and rapid emotional reactions, fostering growing dependence on smartphones and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence systems.
Social observations indicate that repeatedly checking mobile devices for new notifications or updates has evolved into a near-instinctive behavioral pattern, undermining sustained concentration and deep reflection. Within this framework, much of the content exchanged in digital environments is assessed as transient and intellectually shallow, lacking enduring cognitive value.
Experts contend that rapid messaging ecosystems inherently lack the structural capacity to transmit complex or contemplative ideas. As a result, large segments of users are gradually transforming into continuous consumers of information, increasingly losing the ability to internalize profound concepts or maintain lasting intellectual engagement.
At the same time, extended exposure to television, computer, and smartphone screens is viewed as a contributing factor to disruptions in physical, psychological, and spiritual balance. Participation in contemporary social life itself is increasingly described as dependent on smartphone ownership—an assumption that critics argue requires serious reassessment.
Analysts note that if the quality of digital social interaction proves harmful or psychologically diminishing, the necessity of constant participation in such environments becomes questionable. Concerns have also been raised regarding potential long-term effects associated with electromagnetic exposure and humanity’s expanding dependence on communication technologies.
Observers argue that as human attention is increasingly captured by convenience-oriented technologies, advanced digital devices are gradually distancing the human mind from its primary function, the pursuit of authentic knowledge and deeper existential experience. The acceptance of virtual lifestyles centered on speed and comfort, they suggest, is increasingly replacing direct engagement with real-world challenges.
One expert cited in the analysis stated that he abandoned the use of mobile phones and television more than two decades ago, attributing improved concentration, mental calm, and psychological well-being to that decision. In his view, meaningful social connection does not inherently require technological dependence but can instead emerge through deeper interpersonal interaction, engagement with nature, and non-virtual experiences.
The report also argues that widespread digitalization reflects a reductionist intellectual paradigm that prioritizes technical efficiency over the totality of human experience, facilitating the emergence of societies increasingly structured around informational surveillance and large-scale data storage.
Growing interaction with artificial intelligence systems is likewise interpreted as an indicator of spiritual emptiness within modern societies, where individuals increasingly seek existential answers through engagement with automated systems rather than traditional human or philosophical frameworks.
Analysts warn that uncritical acceptance of technological trajectories may ultimately weaken intellectual independence and human identity, transforming individuals into entities structurally dependent on technological systems. Collective conformity to dominant digital trends, they argue, risks producing a gradual form of social alienation.
The report concludes that humanity’s future will depend not solely on technological advancement but on individual choices and collective responsibility in preserving fundamental human values. Reducing digital dependency through renewed engagement with real-life experiences, nature, self-awareness, and moderated reliance on intelligent infrastructures is presented as a pathway toward restoring balance between technology and human existence.
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