Mental health and digital algorithms
The other day I came across this story by Shehla Rashid, where she spoke about pre-menstrual depression that was giving her suicidal thoughts. She also added how she tried to source data off the internet, on different steps to stop living, or how to end her life. Along with her post, she shared screenshots of notifications from Quora returning results corresponding to her search, which is clearly how re-marketing works, and this brings me back to this very important subject which I’ve discussed with friends and family before.
How digital algorithms put us in a cage of our own likings, from what we like to do, topics we are interested in, places we like to visit, things we’d put in our shopping cart, people we like to hate, or vice versa. The re-marketing efforts that go behind every such search is uniform across subjects, and it affects our mental health in ways more than we can imagine. Even artificial intelligent models are still being developed to understand human emotions, psyche, and rational behaviour.
Data suggests the following (source Wikipedia) :
About 800,000 people commit suicide worldwide every year, of these 135,000 (17%) are residents of India, a nation with 17.5% of world population. Sources also report that every hour, a student commits suicide in India.
Why I give these figures is because, there is a general notion that “the internet likes you”, but the truth is a little different — the internet reflects all your prejudices, weaknesses and is nothing but a hideout that knows all about you. The internet has gone beyond just a medium to put your thoughts or work out there, to a medium that can directly impact your quality of life, and influence your minds in ways you cannot ignore. While one gets online to seek answers to things that they are not aware of or they are clueless about, what one often gets is answers their subconscious mind wishes to hear, on the basis of their past actions, clicks, searches, visits, referrals, submissions and so on.
While it is great to connect, network, and explore possibilities to expand your knowledge. It is also important to strike a balance, and know when to stop looking when to switch off and give yourself some head space. There are many things the internet is yet not capable to do, which the five senses in your body can. The human mind is bombarded with information from different sources, and it is important to detox and cleanse your mind with the right meditation and wellness routine.
Step out, meet real people, breathe fresh air, focus on hobbies long forgotten, sign up for anything that brings you joy — yoga, kickboxing, gym, dance classes, Hindustani vocals, or any kind of sport — badminton, tennis, golf, horseriding. Spend time with your loved ones, get your regular health checks, eat healthy food that boosts serotonin and dopamine — the neurotransmitters that control your mood, and make you feel good or bad.
If all is still not good, meet an expert and don't suffer alone.