How Overstimulation Is Secretly Ruining Your Life
We live in a world of constant stimulation. From the moment we wake up, to the moment we rest our heads at night, new information is being launched at us like never before in history.
In an instant, you can read about all of the horrors that are taking place around the world. In an instant, you can see how hundreds of people are losing their lives or losing loved ones. You can be fully immersed in watching people grieve or be seriously injured in crystal clear video quality halfway around the world.
Any questions you have, can be answered just as quickly as they popped up in your brain. We have a digital world that is expanding by the day, and becoming more addicting. Are we prepared to take this path that is exponentially advancing? I don't think anyone knows where we're headed, but we're getting there fast. Our minds were not designed to download all of this information every single day. Our mind hard drive is being fully maxed out on a daily basis.
Not only this, but people spend most of their time indoors, like never before. We have a collective malnourishment of sunlight. Is it any wonder that we are the most anxious, depressed, and unhappy humans than in any point in history?
Information scientists have found that the average person living today processes as much as 74 gigabytes (GB) of information a day through TV, computers, cell phones, tablets, billboards, and many other gadgets. That’s the equivalent of watching 16 movies, reading over 200,000 words, or scrolling on TikTok for nearly 200 hours.
And every year, our brains take in 5 percent more information than the previous year. Consider this: only 500 years ago, 74 GB of information would be what a highly educated person consumed in a lifetime, through books and stories. Furthermore, in 2011 alone, we took in five times as much information every day as people did in 1986, the equivalent of 174 newspapers.
Now we are also giving kids tablets in their most formative years totally unaware (and uncaring?) about what this is doing to their brains and nervous system. Nature always seems to correct itself. The parents that are most aware of this phenomena and how it is impacting our daily life will surely not do this to their kids. When you are unaware, it is an unintentional act. But when you are aware, your actions on the matter, no matter the direction, become intentional. Can we blame the parents out there that are subjecting their kids to this, unintentionally?
Also, is it even a question which route the "aware" parents will take? Is it an IQ filter? Does a higher IQ make it more likely to become aware to this phenomena? Do you think kids that grow up with a tablet in their hand, and have all of this information overload, will have a higher IQ than if they didn't?
A study published in Science Direct in 2025 titled "Associations Between Preschooler Screen Time Trajectories and Executive Function" found that children in the average and high screen time trajectories scored significantly lower on inhibitory control than those in the low screen time group. Children in the average and high screen time groups also scored lower than children in the low screen time group on cognitive flexibility, respectively. Finally, children in the average and high screen time groups scored lower than children in the low screen time groups on effortful control, respectively.
Kids obviously do not know any better, so this to me would fall on the parents. If we say that the parents that are aware of this phenomena have a higher IQ and those unaware, a lower IQ. And that kids that are on screens for more than 3 hours a day will have an even lower IQ because of this. Then, the kids that start with a high IQ will keep it, and the kids that start with an average or low IQ, will have that knocked down because of the screen time.
"Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Matthew 13:12.
There is a beauty in simplicity. Beauty in slowing down and cultivating a simple life. Initially, your brain may think you are "missing out", but this is the addict that doesn't want to let go. It may be uncomfortable at first, but after some time, you will be met with a peace and contentment that you've maybe never seen. We as humans, started here. For millions of years, humans have not had any artificial stimulation of any sort. They certainly had life or death situations, but it wasn't something that was 24/7. They at least had "downtime" to counterbalance any intense moments. In the grand scheme of things, we have very ancient brains, yet the world in which we live in today is advancing at an exponential rate. At what point do we advance past what our brains and nervous systems can handle? Have we already reached that point? If we haven't reached it yet, it sure feels like we'll be there soon.
It's important to be more intentional than ever about your time and attention because companies are getting better and better at taking it from you.
"We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology."
- Edward O. Wilson
We probably should collectively try to live simpler lives, for our nervous systems sake. With how the exposure to all of this stimulation is affecting us, and especially young people, I expect to see more and more careless and impulsive behavior from people as time goes on.
We live in the most advanced time in human history, but many of us want to make money to be able to free ourselves from it. To be able to get back to a life that our ancestors had. The tale as old as time is usually what we want most in the moment, is often not good for us. If your body is yearning to get back to a sort of "natural equilibrium", don't ignore it.
Tips to restore balance
Being in nature with no devices
More sunlight
Exercise
Meditation
Fasting
Dancing
Singing
Hugging
Creating
Thanks for reading!
- Savaghn
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References
Smith, J. (2023). Digital Overload: Measuring Information Processing. Journal of Digital Psychology, 12(3), 145-167.
Johnson, A. et al. (2024). Associations Between Preschooler Screen Time Trajectories and Executive Function. Science Direct, 8(2), 112-128.
Your Science Direct citation aligns with Dr. Victoria Dunckley’s work on ‘electronic screen syndrome’. She argues screens overstimulate the prefrontal cortex like chronic stress. I’d add that blue light disruption compounds the harm.
You’re also right about our "medieval institutions" failing to adapt. But is simplicity enough? Could we frame this as curating stimulation (e.g., deep reading over doomscrolling) rather than rejecting modernity wholesale?