Summary of the Key Points
This discussion focuses on the phenomenon of "cyber-diagnosis" among young people today, exploring the root causes of social anxiety, the sources of modern individuals' sense of exhaustion, how technology and capital affect individuals, and the symbiotic relationship between humans and technology. The main message is that the confusion experienced by young people is not a physical illness but rather a result of social uncertainty and high self-expectations; information overload and the logic of capitalism exacerbate this sense of exhaustion; technology can be both a tool for empowerment and a means of exploitation. The solution lies in maintaining a calm attitude and using technology to our advantage, rather than being controlled by it.
I. "Cyber-Diagnosis": Not a Real Illness, but Anxiety Looking for a Scapegoat
The popularity of "cyber-diagnosis" is not about young people actually having prefrontal lobe damage or ADHD; it is a product of social uncertainty and self-evading behavior:
- Society is changing too quickly, and standards are disappearing: While those born in the 1970s faced uncertainty only after they had established themselves, the generations born in the 1990s and 2000s grow up in an era of AI impact and constantly changing rules, making it difficult for them to find "the right answers" and leading to feelings of confusion and frustration.
- A self-defeating mechanism of blame: Acknowledging one's own shortcomings can harm self-esteem, so problems are attributed to "illnesses"—after all, it's not that they aren't trying hard enough, but rather that their brains are "broken."
- Online information amplifies anxiety: When searching for symptoms online, AI or marketing accounts may exaggerate the severity of conditions (for example, occasional lack of focus might be labeled as ADHD), and without authoritative verification, people easily identify with these descriptions.
- Behind the jokes is collective anxiety: Although there is an element of humor, it reflects a sense of powerlessness among young people about their future—unable to find a way out, they resort to using new terms to relieve their emotions.
II. Why Are We Losing Our Energy to Do Important Things?
Young people often describe themselves as having "low energy" and can't stop scrolling through their phones but can't read a book for long. There are three reasons for this:
- Too many choices, leading to indecision: Information overload causes us to suffer from "choice anxiety"—short videos, novels, and games all compete for our attention, and we fear missing out on something, so we opt for the easiest option (short videos).
- A vicious cycle of instant gratification: Watching short videos provides immediate dopamine rewards, but over time, the brain loses patience for things that require longer-term effort (such as reading novels). Creators also simplify content to attract more viewers, making it harder for people to understand complex information.
- Lack of purpose: If we don't understand the meaning behind an activity (for example, what benefits reading can bring), we lack the motivation to engage in it. This is related to a society that values only outcomes—everything is measured by data (traffic, KPIs), so people only do things that yield quick results.
However, there's no need to be too pessimistic: The resurgence of longer videos and in-depth articles indicates that some people are tired of superficial content and seek intellectual fulfillment.
III. Is Technology Empowering or Exploiting Us? The Duality Behind It Reflects Capitalist Logic
Technology seemingly gives ordinary people a voice (for example, rural bloggers or those sharing technical knowledge through short videos), but in reality, it is controlled by capital:
- The illusion of technological empowerment: Individual bloggers struggle to compete with large media companies (rural lifestyle accounts are often monopolized by them, and the content follows a similar format), and the real beneficiaries are those who control capital and technology.
- Exploitation of residual data: In the past, bosses exploited "excess labor"; now, they exploit "residual data"—your browsing history, chat content, and work habits are collected by platforms and sold to advertisers or used to train AI. Even after leaving a company, your work data can be used to create an AI version of you that continues to work for them without any compensation (this is called "technological feudalism").
- Capital accelerates everything: The 24/7 news cycles and the pressure from AI to improve efficiency are all aimed at making more money. This "acceleration" makes people more exhausted, but they can't stop because the system offers benefits to those who are highly competitive (such as high salaries in large companies).
IV. How to Break Free from the Sense of Exhaustion? Stay Calm and Use Technology Wisely
In the face of an information overload and technological anxiety, ordinary people can do the following:
- Neither reject nor submit: As Heidegger said, "stay calm"—for example, you don't have to drive a car, but you can use others' cars; you don't have to reject AI, but you can use it to find information.
- Recognize the logic of capital, yet accept its convenience: It doesn't matter if mindfulness apps are commercialized; as long as they help relieve anxiety, they can be useful. Capital is not a monster; the key is whether you get what you need from them (for example, using short videos to learn something rather than just scrolling through meaningless content).
- Study history and stay optimistic: There have always been "confused" or "failed generations" in history; current problems have all happened before. Human nature remains unchanged, so trends can be identified, and there's no need to exaggerate the impact of the present.
In conclusion, remember: Technology is a tool, not our master. You can choose how to use it, rather than being controlled by it.
Bonus Tip: Stay Optimistic
Liu Hailong suggests that studying history and theory can help us stay optimistic because we will find that today's anxieties and technological issues have had similar counterparts in the past. The worst-case scenarios are usually not as bad as they seem, and humanity always finds a way out. So, there's no need to panic; take things slow.
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This translation maintains the original Markdown structure, using natural and idiomatic English that fits the style of financial journalism, while adapting expressions to suit the target audience's cultural context and reading habits. The financial and business terminology is kept accurate and consistent throughout the text.