The Dual Face of the Digital Age: A Comprehensive Review on the Psychological, Sociological, and Physiological Effects of the Internet
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9/2/202620 min read
Whether a future without the internet is possible or if a life without it can even be imagined
constitutes one of the most fundamental academic and sociological debates of the digital age.
Worldwide, the internet is recognized as a colossal tool that facilitates global operations in terms
of sustainability, democratizes access to information, and redefines the entertainment industry. It
is an undeniable fact that the internet is so influential that it permeates every cell of daily life;
indeed, the positive thoughts attributed to this technology are not coincidental but stem from the
immense conveniences it offers. However, behind this unique technological advancement lie
multi-layered negative consequences that threaten individual and public health. Ignoring these
negative outcomes means turning a blind eye to the silent epidemics modern societies face.
This report provides an in-depth examination of the internet's harms across perceptual,
cognitive, sociological, and physiological dimensions, treating each factor independently.
1. Theft of Personal Information
Despite cybersecurity measures being constantly active and the development of modern
encryption methods, vulnerabilities in digital infrastructures cause personal data to remain under
constant threat. Sensitive data such as credit card information, home addresses, identification
numbers, and private messages are regularly targeted by cyber attackers. This results in
individuals' digital footprints falling into the hands of malicious actors without their consent.
The primary consequence of these breaches is the profound financial and psychological
devastation inflicted on victims. Identity theft leads to individuals' bank accounts being emptied,
illegal transactions being conducted in their names, and forces them into lengthy, exhausting
legal battles. On a psychological level, such a severe violation of privacy causes individuals to
develop chronic mistrust, anxiety, and a lasting paranoia towards digital platforms. This dark
side of internet usage fundamentally shakes the individual's most basic right to a sense of
personal security.
2. Data Collection
It is no coincidence that topics individuals mention or research out of interest in the digital
environment appear as targeted advertisements shortly afterward. This mechanism is the
product of a system called "surveillance capitalism," which relies on monitoring users 24/7 to
collect their data. Algorithms record user behaviors, dwell times, clicking habits, and
micro-expressions to create massive data pools (big data).
The consequence of this constant surveillance mechanism is the covert manipulation of human
autonomy and free will. Users act under the invisible guidance of algorithms while making
decisions they believe to be their own preferences. The feeling of being constantly watched causes individuals to feel as if they are in a digital panopticon, leading them to self-censor their
behaviors and become passive consumption slaves of the system. This situation transforms
individual will into a commercial commodity.
3. Decreased Attention Span
Short 10-second videos offered on applications like TikTok and the behavior of constantly
scrolling down the screen (doomscrolling) artificially and continuously stimulate the reward
center in the brain. These platforms, which provide rapid dopamine satiation, drag the brain into
neurological exhaustion by offering instant access to information and momentary pleasure.
Because long-term and in-depth content no longer provides pleasure, individuals turn to short,
fast scrolling actions that provide instant gratification.
The academic equivalent of this situation is cognitive fragmentation and Continuous Partial
Attention Disorder. Constant exposure to short-term stimuli dramatically reduces individuals'
focus time and blunts their deep reading, critical thinking, and long-term problem-solving
abilities. Experimental studies reveal that frequent exposure to rapid digital stimuli reflects the
cognitive patterns observed in attention deficit conditions and paralyzes executive functions. As
a result, cognitive endurance decreases, and academic performance drops significantly.
4. Jealousy and the Effort to Prove Oneself
The internet, and especially social media, serves as a showcase where individuals are
constantly exposed to the filtered and perfected "best moments" of others. This environment
triggers toxic and upward social comparisons like, "He did this, she bought that, how can this
be?" People engage in a struggle to prove themselves to others by drawing a different and
flawless profile, purely for the sake of showing off.
The consequence of this endless competition and fake identity construction is a mass feeling of
inadequacy and the destruction of self-confidence. As the gap between their real lives and
digital showcases grows, chronic dissatisfaction, jealousy crises, and an inferiority complex
develop in individuals. People detach from their own realities just to be applauded on the digital
stage, paving the way for an existential void and societal unhappiness.
5. Consolidation of All Social Media Under a Single
Company
The gathering and processing of the entire lives, communications, photos, political views, and
consumption patterns of billions of people under the umbrella of a single giant technology
company creates an unprecedented data monopoly in history. The centralization of the data of 8
billion people gives these companies more demographic, psychographic, and strategic power
than even nation-states possess.
The result of this monopolization is the emergence of a global and existential threat to humanity.
This power, which can steer the mindset, voting behaviors, and cultural trends of societies, can
easily manipulate democratic processes. The collection of data in a single center also creates a
massive security vulnerability; in the event of the collapse or misuse of this infrastructure, the
outbreak of global legal and social crises becomes inevitable. 6. Forgetting National and Local Culture
The boundary-removing nature of the internet accelerates cultural imperialism and leads to the
erosion of local values. Users see global trends on the internet and, with the thought "they are
doing this, we should do it too," begin to find their own cultural practices inadequate, outdated,
or worthless. Local traditions and national rituals are replaced by the imitation of standardized
behavior and consumption patterns that are globally popular.
The consequence of this cultural assimilation is the irreversible erosion of national identities and
cultural diversity. Generations completely adopting a uniform culture offered by the digital world
while breaking away from their own roots experience an identity crisis, and societal memory is
erased. Societies lose their unique colors, melting into the superficial and homogeneous
structure of digital pop culture.
7. Privacy Violations
The "cookie" policies that users encounter when entering websites and are practically forced to
accept to use the site are the clearest indicators of how privacy is institutionalized and violated
in the digital age. Users are forced to allow their digital footprints, locations, and device
information to be tracked just to access content.
The consequence of this situation is the complete disappearance of the perception of privacy
and consent turning into an illusion. People submit to an order where every click and every
sentence they read is recorded. These privacy violations cause the individual's digital profile to
be extracted against their will, sold on data exchanges, and individuals to be transformed into
purely commercial commodities.
8. Fraud
The internet provides a borderless hunting ground for malicious individuals. Especially elderly
individuals with low digital literacy and children whose ability to analyze dangers has not yet
developed are scammed through fake links, phishing methods, or social engineering tactics.
Research shows that declines in cognitive functions, episodic memory losses, and trust-based
structures of older adults make them much more vulnerable to these online attacks.
The result of this situation is that, especially the elderly, lose their life savings overnight and
experience massive economic ruin. Psychologically, scammed victims develop deep shame,
depression, mental breakdown, and a severe loss of trust toward life. The scamming of children
not only harms the family economy but also causes the child to experience lasting traumas
regarding the digital world and human relations.
9. Virtual Gambling (Gacha)
Virtual currencies used especially in in-game purchases (Gacha systems and Loot Boxes)
destroy the value perception of real money and financial reality. These systems, which deceive
people with unrealistic winning odds, are designed on the premise that players will only lose and
fall into the illusion of "I will win if I try one more time". The fact that virtual gambling access can
happen in seconds and the predatory nature of microtransactions cause users to constantly lose
without realizing it. Form of Gambling Risk Rate Main Psychological
Effects
Target Audience
Gacha Systems / Loot
Box
Increases problem
gambling rate by 11.4
times
Impulsivity, loss of
willpower, distorted
financial perception
Children, Adolescents,
Young Adults
Traditional Online
Casino
Equivalent risk level
(similar to Loot Box)
Depression, debt,
addiction cycle
Adults
Table 1: Effects of Virtual Gambling and Loot Box (Gacha) Systems
The most devastating consequence of these systems is that they pave the way for problem
gambling in children and young adults at a very early age. Scientific models prove that the
likelihood of problem gambling among young adults who purchase loot boxes with their own
money is 11.4 times higher than those who do not. The gamification and normalization of
gambling through gacha games disrupt the reward mechanism in children's brains, turning them
into heavy gamblers in their later years.
10. Online Humiliation
The internet environment has turned into an arena where individuals hide behind anonymous
shields and ruthlessly and collectively humiliate others. Unlike physical bullying, cyberbullying
and online humiliation are not limited to a specific location; they are active, intrusive, and often
inescapable for the victims. The humiliation the victim endures is digitally recorded in seconds in
front of millions of people and becomes permanent due to the unforgiving nature of the internet.
Research on students indicates that online humiliation is one of the most common types of
cyberbullying.
The consequence of online humiliation is a tremendous psychological trauma inflicted on the
victim. Due to this constant pressure, victims experience an increasing rate of anxiety,
depression, deep shame, loss of self-esteem, and social exclusion. The shame caused by
humiliation makes it difficult for the individual to appear in public, causes post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and paralyzes both cognitive and emotional development. The
permanence of digital violence opens chronic wounds in the victim's mind that do not heal.
11. Hate
The internet is an ecosystem where hate towards people of different beliefs, races, genders, or
political views spreads rapidly without any censorship. The anonymity and physical distancing
provided by the digital environment allow people to recklessly voice insults and hateful rhetoric
they would never say face-to-face. Especially gender-based cyber hate speech targeting
women and disadvantaged groups is showing an alarming increase on digital platforms.
The consequence of this situation is the blunting of tolerance, dialogue, and empathy in society,
and the deepening of polarization. Groups exposed to hate speech experience constant fear,
anxiety, and emotional distress, leading to a chilling effect where they withdraw from social life
and digital participation. The isolation of these individuals from the digital world paves the way
for the usurpation of their freedom of expression and the institutionalization of digital
discrimination in society. 12. Inducing Suicide
Exclusion in online environments, endless lynching attempts, and relentless cyberbullying
completely collapse the psychological resilience of the victims. The 24/7 active nature of the
internet carries bullying right into the victim's safe haven—their home and bedroom—outside of
school or work. The helplessness and loneliness felt by the individual become fatal when
combined with cyberbully-induced suicidality propagated over the internet.
Academic research definitively proves that the "depressive impact" (sadness, fear,
helplessness) created by cyberbullying on victims directly leads to suicidal ideation and actions.
The feeling that there is no escape from this digital hell for the victims results in tragedy. The
cost of this irreversible outcome is lost young lives and massive traumas left to the remaining
families that shatter the social conscience, which they will never overcome for the rest of their
lives.
13. Propensity for Terrorism
Internet algorithms often highlight extreme, provocative, and borderline content to keep users'
attention on the platform for longer. Individuals experiencing social isolation in real life,
marginalized, or in search of identity are rapidly and easily drawn into the propaganda networks
of radical groups, terrorist organizations, or extremist ideologies through these algorithms.
The consequence of this online radicalization process is a dramatic increase in the propensity
for terrorism. Through echo chambers, individuals are gradually brainwashed with alienating
content that legitimizes violence, turning them into "lone wolf" terrorists or organization militants
who will carry out destructive actions in the real world. National and global security remains
under a constant and asymmetric threat due to the internet's function as this ideological
incubator.
14. Encouragement / Glamorization
For the sake of clicks and views, social media platforms glorify drug use, illegal speeding,
physically harmful "challenge" videos, and criminal gang culture under an aesthetic guise. Youth
who have not yet reached a sufficient level of awareness, critical thinking ability, and risk
perception adopt and copy these harmful contents as role models to become popular and gain
likes among their peers.
The result is severe physical injuries at a young age, an increase in substance abuse rates, and
the upbringing of a generation prone to committing crimes. Behaviors that are extremely
dangerous, illegal, or fatal in real life are perceived as harmless, adrenaline-filled games when
viewed through the internet screen, laying the groundwork for young people to make irreversible
mistakes that ruin their lives.
15. Fake News
One of the greatest paradoxes of the information age is that the internet simultaneously
operates as history's most effective disinformation machine. Due to a psychological mechanism
called "negativity bias," the human brain reacts much faster to negative, provocative, and
frightening information than positive stimuli. By exploiting this vulnerability, algorithms spread fake news and clickbait headlines to much larger audiences compared to verified scientific facts.
The consequence of the viral spread of fake news is the complete collapse of societies' trust in
institutions, science, democracy, and the press. People can endanger their lives by believing
unfounded health lies, and the outcomes of democratic elections can be manipulated due to
fake political news. This era, termed "post-truth," leads to a collective eclipse of reason where
emotional manipulation replaces rational thought.
16. Obesity
The endless content universe of the internet traps people into a stationary life completely devoid
of physical activity, lasting for hours in front of a screen. Instead of walking outside, doing sports,
or engaging in hobbies that require physical activity, time spent at home scrolling screens and
consuming digital series minimizes the body's energy expenditure. When high-calorie and
unhealthy eating habits unconsciously consumed in front of the screen are added, the picture
becomes even more severe.
The physiological consequence of this highly sedentary lifestyle is a global obesity epidemic.
The excess weight problem, which usually starts in childhood and adolescence, directly invites
fatal chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome,
hypertension, and joint disorders in later years. Public health is experiencing a physical collapse
in inverse proportion to increasing screen time.
17. Depression
The excessive use of the internet, especially social media, constant social comparison,
cyberbullying, and relentless exposure to the world's disaster news (doomscrolling) keep the
brain's stress hormones constantly active. An individual's comparison of their natural life with
fictional, perfected, and unattainable lives on social media creates a deep sense of
worthlessness and inadequacy. Studies show that doomscrolling negative news and cyber
victimization have a direct and causal relationship with depression.
As a result of this, an explosion in clinical-level depression cases is being experienced in every
age group. The person isolates themselves from the world and their social circle, entering a
cycle of inability to feel pleasure (anhedonia), sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, and pessimism.
Depression has become one of the darkest legacies of the internet age as a long-term
psychiatric epidemic that poisons not only the individual but also their organic relationships with
their environment, draining life energy.
18. Social Isolation
Although the internet claims to turn the world into a "global village" and connect people,
ironically, it isolates people even from those closest to them. The superficiality of interactions in
the virtual environment and the illusion created by instant messaging replace deep and
emotional genuine human contact. Even though people sit in the same room, they live in their
own digital worlds with their heads bowed down, losing the ability to make eye contact,
understand body language, and communicate deeply.
The consequence of social isolation is a massive epidemic of loneliness. Even if individuals
have thousands of followers in the virtual environment, they have no one in real life from whom
they can receive emotional support or rely on during a crisis. This profound sense of loneliness leads to a lack of empathy, social anxiety, incompatibility with the outside world, and causes
society to atomize by losing the ability to live together.
19. Text Neck (Kyphosis)
Constantly looking at smartphone and tablet screens with the head flexed forward puts
extraordinary mechanical stress on the cervical spine. According to biomechanical research,
while an adult human head places a load of approximately 4-5 kg on the neck in a normal
posture, tilting the head forward by 60 degrees puts an extra load of approximately 27 kg (60
pounds) on the neck vertebrae. Clinically, this postural deformation and overuse syndrome is
termed "Text Neck" syndrome. Studies conducted on medical students show rates of Text Neck
syndrome reaching up to 68%, with 42% of individuals using phones for more than 5 hours a
day.
Text Neck Symptoms /
Consequences
Observed Prevalence / Feature Advanced Stage Complications
Neck Pain (Cervicalgia) 64.6% Chronic muscle spasm, nerve
damage
Headache (Cephalgia) 48.2% Cervicogenic headache,
migraine
Shoulder and Back Pain 42.3% Postural deformity, muscle
imbalance
Irreversible Kyphosis
(Hunchback)
Caused by constant flexion
over 30-15 degrees
Early onset spinal disc
degeneration, disc herniation
Table 2: Text Neck Syndrome Prevalence and Orthopedic Complications
The consequence of this abnormal physical loading is chronic neck and shoulder pain starting at
an early age, muscle spasms, spinal disc degeneration, herniation, and the distortion of the
spine's natural curvature (cervical lordosis) into an irreversible hunchback (kyphosis). Especially
in the developing cartilage and skeletal systems of children, this situation leads to neurological
nerve compressions, permanent posture disorders, and severe orthopedic disabilities in later
years.
20. Identity Fraud
The physical invisibility and anonymity provided by the internet allow people to present
themselves as people they are not, create fake profiles (catfishing), and nowadays, create
AI-supported deepfake technologies. This forgery sometimes ranges from an innocent search
for emotional attention to planned and professional fraud, blackmail, and digital identity theft.
The consequence of identity fraud is the complete elimination of trust in human relations within
the digital ecosystem. Individuals experience massive trauma when they learn that the people
they have formed emotional bonds with over a long period are actually scammers aiming to
exploit them materially or morally. Additionally, pornographic materials are produced using other
people's faces and identities, reputation assassinations are organized, and the lives of innocent
people can be irreversibly darkened with fake evidence.
21. Cancel Culture Internet platforms have completely bypassed legal processes, the right to a fair trial, and the
presumption of innocence, creating a savage "cancel culture" where the masses instantly
assume the roles of prosecutor, judge, and executioner. A mistake, a misunderstood word, an
image taken out of context, or a message sent in the past is simultaneously inflated by millions
of people with the motive of punishment. Social media has turned into modern digital guillotines
where extrajudicial executions are carried out.
The consequence of this cancel culture is the permanent destruction of individuals' careers,
family lives, economic independence, and reputations in seconds. The lynched individual is
exposed to massive psychological and verbal violence, ostracized from society, and often
unable to handle this disproportionate pressure, experiencing severe psychiatric breakdowns or
suicidal tendencies. On a societal level, an insurmountable wall of self-censorship and fear is
built preventing people from expressing different opinions, making mistakes, and debating
freely.
22. Brain Fog
The mind-tiring 10-second videos with constantly changing formats, endless doomscrolling of
disaster news, and never-ending application notifications rapidly consume the brain's capacity to
process information and focus. This extreme, hyper-stimulating, and worthless data exposure
leads to a neuropsychological condition termed "Brain Rot" or "Brain Fog" in academic literature.
The brain cannot cope with this multitasking and information bombardment, which has no place
in its natural evolution.
The consequence of this situation is individuals losing their mental clarity, having difficulty
putting their thoughts into a logical order, and experiencing chronic forgetfulness and cognitive
lethargy. Individuals cannot read a complex text, cannot concentrate deeply, and live with an
all-day feeling of grogginess. The executive circuits that allow the brain to work efficiently lose
their functionality, effectively trapping the mind inside a dense cloud of fog that is impossible to
clear.
23. Reversal of Brain Age / Cognitive Decline
Excessive use of the internet negatively and degeneratively affects the brain's neuroplasticity
feature, which is its ability to restructure itself according to environmental stimuli. The ability to
access information instantly and with zero effort via search engines weakens the brain's
"cognitive muscles" such as researching, analyzing, synthesizing, and retaining information in
long-term memory. The brains of children in the developmental age and young adults become
lazy at the cellular level because they are deprived of reading and problem-solving tasks that
require mental effort.
The devastating consequence of this is a decline in cognitive capacity and the executive
functional age of the brain while chronological age progresses. Observed effects include
significant weakening in short-term memory, blunting of analytical thinking ability, slowing of
learning speed, and even a significantly increased risk of early-onset dementia and cognitive
decline in later years. Human intelligence and mental resilience are taking an evolutionary step
backward for the sake of the comfort provided by technology.
24. Getting Lost in Perception / Digital Dissociation Starting to exist continuously in the fictional world behind screens rather than in the physical
world leads to a loss of the perception of time and space. The never-ending "infinite scroll"
design of the digital environment cuts the person's organic bond with their surroundings and
puts them into a virtual trance, referred to in the literature as Digital Dissociation Syndrome
(DDS). This situation creates a feeling of psychological detachment and alienation from one's
own physical body.
The consequence of this break from reality is individuals completely losing control of their
physical lives. Human responsibilities, academic duties, or professional obligations in the real
world are completely neglected. When the person steps out of this parallel universe where they
live with virtual satisfactions and faces the difficulties and slow pace of the real world, they
cannot adapt, experiencing a cycle of deep dissatisfaction, frustration, and existential crisis.
25. Distortion of Aesthetic Perception
Beauty filters, which standardize on internet platforms, and applications that provide facial
narrowing, smoothing, and makeup effects cause people to hate their natural and real
appearances. Research reveals that 90% of young women edit their photos using these filters
before uploading them to the internet, and specifically "face-slimming" filters have far more
devastating effects on their actual body image than looking at other people's photos. Individuals
compare their naked reality with the flawless but completely fictional versions they create in the
digital environment (augmented reality). This situation causes a new-generation psychological
syndrome called Social Media Dysmorphia or Snapchat/Zoom Dysmorphia.
Aesthetics and Dysmorphia
Indicators
Detected Statistic / Impact Consequences and
Repercussions
Filter Usage Rate 90% of young women edit
photos
Rejection of natural
appearance, construction of
fake ideals
Social Media Usage Time Between 4-7 hours daily Increase in Body Dysmorphic
Disorder (BDD) symptoms
Surgical Dissatisfaction 75% of patients are dissatisfied
post-surgery
Unrealistic expectations,
repeated unnecessary
operations
Decline in Self-Esteem Idealized media creates 71%
dissatisfaction
Fear of negative evaluation,
depression, eating disorders
Table 3: Effects of Social Media Filters on Aesthetic Perception and Dysmorphia
The clinical consequence of this situation is the individual becoming obsessed with imaginary
flaws they believe exist in their body (Body Dysmorphic Disorder - BDD) and resorting heavily to
unnecessary aesthetic surgical interventions. People lie on surgical tables, develop eating
disorders (anorexia, bulimia), and even after aesthetic operations (75% of the time) do not find
themselves satisfying, entering an endless cycle of psychological torture in order to resemble
their filtered avatars.
26. Child Exploitation
The internet, by its very nature, is like a massive open market where boundaries are blurred and
children are exposed to highly dangerous and unregulated content. Malicious adults (groomers)
reach children directly through the chat rooms of online games and social media messaging, gaining their trust (grooming) and exploiting them. In addition, due to the inadequacy of filtering
systems, children can access extreme violence, gore, and pornographic content inappropriate
for their age with a single click.
The consequence of these violations is the sexual, physical, and emotional exploitation of
children, and the theft of their innocence in the dark corridors of the digital age. The
psychological development of children exposed to such content and adult manipulation at an
early age is interrupted; lifelong deep traumas, sexual identity disorders, mistrust of people, and
behavioral abnormalities emerge. The safe rearing space that should be under the control of
families is torn apart by the digital world.
27. Cognitive Overload
Contrary to traditional, in-depth reading practices, information on the internet is not presented
linearly but in fragments via hypertext structures. The individual is subjected to an intense
mental bombardment by opening multiple tabs at the same time, navigating through various
applications (task-switching), and consuming disconnected information in different contexts in
seconds. According to the Cognitive Load Theory, valid in the fields of education and
neuroscience, the brain's "working memory" has a highly limited capacity, and these excessive,
fragmented digital stimuli deplete cognitive capacity and paralyze the mind.
The consequence of cognitive overload is the total breakdown of the brain's mechanisms for
processing, classifying, making sense of, and transferring information to long-term memory. The
volume of information is massive, but there is no depth, meaning-making, or wisdom. The mind
experiences a kind of analysis paralysis; individuals are overwhelmed by so much unnecessary
data that they struggle even to make the simplest daily decisions and constantly feel a mental
burnout syndrome.
28. Polarization
Internet search engines and social media algorithms trap users in "echo chambers" by only
showing them content that validates their existing political or ideological thoughts. The individual
loses their empathy towards opposing views and becomes completely intolerant, assuming that
everyone in their digital world thinks the same as them. This phenomenon, known in academic
circles as "affective polarization," causes individuals to perceive people outside their group
(out-group) not only as rivals who "think wrongly" but also as "evil, dangerous, and immoral".
The macro-scale consequence of polarization is the complete destruction of social consensus,
democratic debate culture, rational dialogue, and common social ground. In this environment
encouraged by echo chambers, political and social issues turn into an uncompromising digital
battlefield. Societies radicalize by dividing into hostile camps within themselves, which drifts
toward internal conflicts, social unrest, hate crimes in real life, and the loss of democracy's basic
functions.
29. Desensitization
War, natural disaster, accident, death, and violence videos from all over the world drop into
people's social media feeds in seconds in their rawest forms. These contents, which initially
horrify, frighten, and sadden a person, lead to emotional blindness and "compassion fatigue" in
the brain as a result of constant repetition and uncontrolled exposure. To protect itself from this intense, traumatic stress, the brain suppresses and blunts emotional responses as a defense
mechanism.
The consequence of desensitization is the paralysis of human empathy and mass moral decay.
When individuals see a tragedy in real life, instead of helping or feeling pain, they prefer to take
out their smartphones, record it, and see it as "content" to be shared on social media. A society
that becomes unresponsive and accustomed to pain, death, bullying, and injustice loses the
most basic feelings of compassion, cooperation, and solidarity that make humanity human.
30. FOMO
The feeling of having to be online constantly is defined in the literature as the "Fear of Missing
Out" (FOMO). Whenever individuals step away from social networks for a moment, they
experience intense and continuous anxiety, thinking that the world is passing by and they are
missing an important event, gossip, opportunity, or popular entertainment. This situation leads to
the emergence of clinical pictures called FOMO-Driven Anxiety Disorder (FDAD) in psychiatry.
The consequence of FOMO is the inability to ever detach from devices, rest, and live in the
moment (mindlessness). Compulsive behaviors develop that shatter social structure and sleep
patterns, such as waking up in the middle of the night to check notifications, or constantly
looking at the screen while others are at the table. The mind waits in constant virtual
hyper-vigilance; this causes chronic stress, irritability, dissatisfaction, and the inability of the
individual to derive any pleasure from the physical, real moment they are in.
31. AI Data Centers and Water Usage
The training of the internet and recently rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems and
large language models (LLMs) requires massive server farms and data centers with extremely
high data processing capacities. These giant facilities, which make up the invisible, physical
infrastructure of the internet, consume incredible levels of electricity to run non-stop 24/7 and
use millions of gallons of drinkable, clean fresh water in evaporation systems to cool overheated
systems.
The physical world consequence of this situation is a massive environmental disaster,
exponentially increasing carbon footprints, and the loss of ecological sustainability. In an era
where the climate crisis, global warming, and drought threaten the world fatally, the limitless and
uncontrolled freshwater consumption of technology companies endangers the access of local
populations and agricultural lands to clean water. In the future, the cost of making a simple
information query to an artificial intelligence carries the risk of drying up lakes and collapsing
ecosystems in the physical world.
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