The Devil's Plan to Ruin the Next Generation
10 days ago
- #mental health
- #Gen Z
- #technology impact
- ChatGPT's hypothetical 'devil's plan' to ruin the next generation involves subtle, slow erosion of attention, identity, wisdom, relationships, discipline, trust, and meaning through technology.
- The mental health of Gen Z (born 1996-2012) has significantly declined since the early 2010s, linked to smartphone and social media use.
- Key strategies in the 'devil's plan' include eroding attention spans, confusing identity and purpose, flooding with information but starving wisdom, replacing real relationships with digital ones, normalizing hedonism, undermining intergenerational trust, and commodifying all aspects of life.
- Data shows a sharp rise in feelings of meaninglessness among Gen Z, particularly among secular liberals, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media.
- The author proposes four norms to counteract these effects: no smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, and more real-world independence and play.
- Parents' phone addiction also negatively impacts children, even if the kids are screen-free, by creating emotional and mental absence.
- The essay warns against repeating past mistakes with AI and emphasizes the need for real-life connections to combat the spiritual and mental health crisis.