Just over a decade ago, we could maintain attention on a book for hours and hold deep conversations without the compulsive need to check our phones. Now, our brains seem to buzz with constant restlessness, jumping from one piece of information to another like a bee in a field of flowers.

       The arrival of TikTok and similar platforms has radically transformed how our brain processes information, with fifteen-second videos, rapid transitions, and constant stimuli bombarding our senses. Our minds, shaped by millions of years of evolution to process the world at a natural pace, now find themselves subjected to a rhythm that overwhelms them. Like a machine forced to operate beyond its specifications, our brains are beginning to show signs of premature wear.

       Neuroscientists have begun documenting alarming changes in our cognitive patterns. Sustained attention capacity crumbles, working memory weakens, and the ability for deep and reflective thinking gradually erodes. We are becoming superficial processors of information, experts at sliding a finger across a screen, but unable to fall into the depths of contemplative thought.

       The symptoms of this transformation are evident in our daily lives. Workers can't retain more than one given instruction, students can no longer complete reading a chapter without checking their social media, people are unable to finish watching a video if it lasts more than a minute, conversations are constantly interrupted by the compulsive need to document every moment on Instagram or TikTok, as if the experience weren't real until it's shared online.

       This constant cognitive overload is creating a generation of fragmented minds, and anxiety and depression could very easily flourish in this fertile ground of overstimulation and superficial connection. Our brains, designed to find patterns and meaning in the world around us, find themselves overwhelmed by an incessant torrent of information that rarely has time to become true knowledge.

       The arrival of artificial intelligence adds a new layer of complexity to this landscape, as we increasingly delegate our cognitive capabilities to these tools, and the convenience of having instant answers to any question may be atrophying our ability to wrestle with problems and find satisfaction in the discovery process. Artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, capable of processing and analyzing information with amazing depth, while our own cognitive capabilities seem to regress to a more primitive state. We consume information like fast food, in small, addictive bites that leave us perpetually unsatisfied and anxious for more.

       Our children and adolescents, with brains still developing, are particularly vulnerable to these changes. They are growing up in a world where instant gratification is the norm and where depth is sacrificed on the altar of immediacy. What kind of adults will be produced by a childhood guided by algorithms designed to keep attention captive at any cost? Technology isn't inherently negative; it has brought incredible advances and has democratized access to knowledge in ways our ancestors could barely dream of. However, like any powerful tool, its impact depends on how we use it.