Zombie Apocalypse
I Fear It's Already Too Late
Anyone who has known me for more than a couple of years has probably heard me mumble, "the zombie apocalypse has already happened, and we lost."
This sentiment usually arises from a moment in my day where I observe a fellow human mindlessly drifting around the world, unaware of their own impact on it or even that there are other people caught in their wake.
We know the excuses: the holidays are distracting; the economy is distracting; the general state of the world is distracting.
I can only buy the distracted, stressed out, over-tired excuse so far. (I feel these social stresses should bring us together, make us more empathetic, but …) Unfortunately, I have a real sense that a significant amount of our population has turned into self-preoccupied zombies.
Our society is not a community. It's become a mob of individuals moving around in the same place.
And now I have proof:
a growing body of scientific evidence over the past decade suggests that consuming mind-numbing content, from sources ranging from algorithmically driven social media junk to sensationalist news, can literally reduce the physical gray matter in our brains.
https://futurism.com/neoscope/brain-rot-poisoning-minds
Watching crap makes your brain smaller.
I'm not being judgmental about social media use—to each his/her/their own.
You do you.
I'm just matching my own observations against what science is saying. We're getting dumber, and technology (and artificial intelligence) is getting smarter.
More concerning, in my estimation, is that a growing amount of the content that is causing our brains to shrink is being created by AIs. We’re not even taking part. And people are rapidly losing the ability to discern the difference.
The AIs are taking over, not through a violent rebellion, but through us absent-mindedly allowing ourselves to grow dumber.
The zombie apocalypse is over. But, rather than thoughtless creatures ravenously searching for human flesh, today's insatiable hordes are enslaved by social media detritus.
- https://www.pixar.com/wall-e
We won't need a technological war where the Skynet takes over. We will cede the planet to technology as we fade into irrelevance.
“And so it goes...”
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
Speaking of (d)Evolution
So, if you ever considered just chucking all this and going to live in a cave, check this out: a bunch of crocodiles who apparently got tired of hanging out in the woods with other crocs, crawled into a cave and became a new species.
That's really giving society the middle finger.
So, What To Do?
Do I think the solution is hiding in a cave? Fall in step and surrender your intelligence with the rest of them? Go wild and ban social media, phones, jackass? Search random old houses for a Narnia closet?
No.
Maybe save some of those grey brain cells by trying to become more involved, here and now, with things that can engage you back, like pets, people, plants, other "p" things and all the other letters.
Research one of the most connected entities in the world. Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism on the planet—how's that for the opposite of isolation?
You could go see art. Join a trivia team. Go to your local library and hear a group of writers talk about publishing (like in a New England sea-side town at the end of the month…).
You can always ask a random person, another human, a question. Start a conversation that begins authentic communication and maybe even leads to a new friendship (just don’t be annoying).
Huh?
Speaking of asking questions, neuroscience (and Ted Lasso) suggest curiosity is a powerful way to stay connected without staring at the ever present mindless glow.
There are neuro techniques where you inspect yourself during times of stress or anxiety. When stressed or anxious, you can ask, "Where do I feel this in my body?" Studies have shown by being curious and just asking that question can reduce your anxiety (that might have arisen from doomscrolling or excessive FOMO).
I’ve built a career on the Internet. So, I don’t want to sound like an ex-carnivore proselytizing about the evils of eating a non-vegan diet. I love technology.
As I have shared in my fiction, it’s the humans who, when faced with the amazing potential of technology, go astray and cause all the problems. We almost can’t help ourselves.
“Poo-tee-weet?”
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five (https://sesquiotic.com/2020/12/13/so-it-goes/)
What do you think?
Happy reading and happy writing.
David