Essay: Oh! It’s Brain Rot Now: OUP’s WOTY 2024! by Aditya Kumar Panda

Aditya Kumar Panda shares an interesting observation about the rise of digital life and how it is impacting our minds.

One of the most shocking acts, that has characterized the 21st century, can be summed up in one word Digital Life. It has revolutionized our day-to-day lives.  It has no end and is always evolving. One of the direct advantages it has caused is accessibility and timeliness. There was a time when we used to go to the library to search for books. These days we just search on Google or any search engine and get it. There was a time when the Ramayana was aired and if we would miss an episode, we were uncertain about its re-airing. But now we can watch it anytime, anywhere, and frequently.

If a student does not understand a word, concept, or problem, he/she does not need to go to any teacher to ask, he/she can easily get the answer online. If we think about the benefits the digital media has given us, it is immense. But this digital media has changed the form and face of content. The arrival of AI has revolutionized the field. There is no control over content and media now. And our utilization of time through digital life is nearing half of our waking life every day.