echo The Age of Digital Confusion
Raven Minyard, Seth Halls, and others, WikiHow
Thank you, WikiHow, for always being around when times are dire—and times are indeed dire. The world has been complicated for every generation, but for the youth born into technology, further unprecedented complications continuously arise. The widespread use of the smartphone has only brought its users different forms of confusion.
From Old Media to Social Media
In the past, people consumed news and entertainment through traditional media: newspapers, radio, and television. These forms, though not without bias, operated under editorial standards. Social media, by contrast, presents a constant stream of unfiltered content, with algorithms prioritizing engagement over accuracy. As a result, misinformation spreads easily, and reality itself becomes unclear. The shift from old media to social media has left many struggling to discern fact from fiction.
Brain Rot and the Cost of Digital Overconsumption
Language evolves to reflect cultural shifts. In 2024, The Oxford Word of the Year, amassing over 37,000 votes, was “brain rot,” a term describing “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”. The effects are widespread: declining attention spans, mental fatigue, and a growing sense of detachment from reality.
When the World Was Stuck Online
The COVID-19 pandemic forced people indoors, making digital spaces more central than ever. For a moment in time, seated in cold, fog-laden pockets in between evergreen forests of dipterocarp and myrtle trees, the modest traveller’s destination that is Tanah Rata, a town within the Malaysian municipality of Cameron Highlands, slumbered all night and day, silent as a lichen. When the 2020 Malaysian Movement Control Order restrictions had relaxed around early May to safely reopen the national economy, the people of Tanah Rata had observed monkeys swinging in the mist from tree to tree, reclaiming the silence, thriving, just behind the schools and shop-lots. Online, however, narratives took on a different shape. Stories of animals “reclaiming” urban spaces went viral, such as the widely shared claim that a group of elephants in China got drunk on wine. This, along with the idea that dolphins had returned to the canals of Venice, was later debunked by National Geographic, yet many continued to believe it, including several reputable news outlets. The rapid spread of misinformation revealed just how easily social media could shape perception, distorting reality to fit an engaging narrative.
Escaping the Digital Fog
Replacing Social Media with Real-World Counterparts
If social media clouds the mind, then it makes sense to replace it with clarity. Many of the things that keep people glued to their screens–news, conversations, hobbies—exist in better forms outside of social media. Seeking information from books or reputable sources, talking to people in real life, and engaging in hands-on activities help restore a sense of presence.
Mindfulness Over Mindless Scrolling
Chris Gabriel, in his YouTube channel MemeAnalysis, describes how even walking in nature is just like another “nature channel” experience. This speaks to the way social media has altered perception. To break free, one must engage with the world fully—observing without distraction, and resisting the urge to document every moment for online validation.
Finding Community Beyond the Internet
Social media simulates connection, but often, it leaves users feeling lonelier. Real relationships form through shared experiences, not through likes and retweets. Building a community outside the internet—whether through local groups, clubs, or casual gatherings—fosters genuine belonging and reduces dependence on digital interactions.
Emotional Outlets Beyond Posting
Expression should not be limited to tweets and Instagram stories. These are simulations. Writing, painting, playing music–these are ways to communicate feelings without the pressure of online approval. Unlike fleeting social media posts, creative expressions have lasting depth and personal meaning.
Long-Form Entertainment: A Return to Depth
Social media conditions the brain for rapid, surface-level consumption. Long-form entertainment—books, films, in-depth articles–retrains the mind to engage with stories and ideas over extended periods. Reading and watching thoughtfully curated content offers not only knowledge but also the patience to understand it.
Conclusion: Touching Grass, for Real
The antidote to digital confusion is simple: step outside, engage with reality and let real experiences shape perception. Social media will always be there, but it doesn’t have to be the main lens through which life is experienced. To truly “touch grass” is to reclaim clarity, presence, and meaning; then, maybe, one will be able to see the real, thriving in a world that often feels lost in the fog of the internet.
Written By: Mario (Fel) and Sarah Tan
Edited By: Tisyha
