Ladies and gentlemen,
The message title was not a “clickbait” inviting you to proceed reading my letter.
This exact phrase – “brain rot” – won the plebiscite for the Word of the Year 2024, organized by the largest university publishing home in the world, Oxford University Press.
This expression means a deterioration in the intellectual or intellectual state of a person, peculiarly seen as a consequence of excessive absorption of content (usually online content) considered trivial or non-requiring. Through the deficiency of healthy neuron stimulation, the brain simply “sucks”. And specified “empty” content – as smartphone users – we are bombarded all day.
And delight note that these threats are not the fabrication of all the “beautiful” techniques. They are warned by the most serious technological centres.
At Harvard University, it's proven that telephone calls work on the brain like gambling. This constant stimulation resulted in a new, previously unknown humanity disorder – phenoholism.
In the past, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs were primarily warned about – drugs that could destruct not only health, but even human life.
Today we request to talk out about virtual threats.
We took on this mission. next day and the day after during vacation festivals we will talk about it to those who are most exposed to it – to young people.
And we request your support in this!
I think we all see that Fonoholism is an increasingly enslaving problem for young people. As a behavioral disorder, it has its physical and intellectual effects. A telephone addict is disconnected from the real world, must constantly look at the screen, check the notifications, and even afraid to leave home without him.
A young man's contact with technology usually starts innocently. Adults give their kid a smartphone due to the fact that they want children to have contact with their peers, as well as access to net education or entertainment. Many parents treat the time spent “on the phone” by a kid as a different form of rest.
But "scrolling" is simply a deceptive rest. Reflective feeding on digital content virtually kills the brain of a young man, It's starting to get lazy, and it's getting worse...
Dr. Don Grant – an American scientist and addiction specialist – points out that the abuse of smartphones stimulates our limbic system, that is, the area in the brain that is liable for emotions, motivations, pleasures. If this area works besides intensely, it can consequence in deregulation of hormone secretion, and thus lead to depression or simply impair our cognitive abilities.
The media provides us with constant confirmations of the above findings. Last month, the news was about a teenager from Turin whose body experienced shock after his parents took his phone. He experienced abdominal pain, irritability, and sleep disturbances – as if he were on drug hunger.
But examples do not request to be looked abroad – virtually a fewer days ago on the road in Żory 18-year-old caused a car accident, due to the fact that while driving he looked at the phone.
Similar situations confirm the request to meet young people, during which we can show them the seriousness of virtual threats and show them ways to avoid or exit digital addiction. But besides – familiarize them with another serious issues.
That's why we go with good content to youth festivals!
Already next day in Dębowec close Jasł, during the Saletyn Youth Meeting, I will give instructions on how to form character and strong will in the virtual world.
On Friday, in Niepokalanów, Dr. Artur Górecki, manager of the Ordo Iuris Educational Center, will tell participants of MaxFestival how crucial it is in life to be guided by reason alternatively than based solely on emotions.
At festivals, we give young people concrete tools to control their lives and teach them how to defend them from a prying array of temptations and threats that lurk on their phones and origin "brain rot".
But we will besides tell them about our pro-life mission and the request to defend the rights and autonomy of modern families. During my many years of work with young people, I found that they rapidly capture the value of this commitment and, appropriately encouraged, want to stand up for the civilization of life!
I regret gathering only a fewer 100 young people this summer. During this time, many of their peers will be bombarded by celebrities of red lightning, repeating lies about “free choice” and “fertility”. Or, glued to the screen of their smartphone, they will watch series convincing them to “how good it is to have sex” and “not to suppress their sexuality”.
It all takes an intellectual antidote. And the youth with whom we will meet needs good arguments that can be resisted by their peers and sometimes even persuade their colleagues to change their minds or attitudes. He besides needs to know that they are not alone, but that they are members of a larger social movement, a fresh generation of pro-life.
I have no uncertainty that we can give them all this. But it won't work without your help.
We besides want to equip them with various materials. Both age-appropriate thematic studies as well as gadgets to aid them witness among their peers: T-shirts, wristbands, pinlets, etc. Unfortunately, this involves real production costs.
To aid you realize the scale of spending: according to information from organizers at both festivals, there will most likely be about 600 young people. Therefore, the cost of only the por-life T-shirts alone will cost us over 7000 PLN. Additionally, we had to rent a bus to accommodate tables and shelter alongside the materials. In total, participation in these 2 events means spending of PLN 20,000 for us.
So I am asking you very much to support the activities for young people together we can defend them from dependence on the telephone and the net and build a fresh generation of pro-life with them!
We are no longer days distant from youth festivals in Dębowec and Niepokalanów, but hours away. most likely erstwhile you open this e-mail, we'll be on our way.
I warmly greet and number on your help!
Marcin Perłowski
Director of the Life and household Centre
