Dr. Mercola's Censored Library (Private Membership)

Dr. Mercola's Censored Library (Private Membership)

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Just steve's avatar
Just steve
Mar 11

Can we include television, movies starting the same or similar affecting and degrading our range of awareness, processing information, especially our human intuitions? The constant breaks for rapid fire commercials, the removal of town to town vaudeville, plays or local talent where even the smaller communities had a theater center. A place where people actually gathered, interacted with each other. Vaudeville disappeared because the entertainers came through areas every few years so their act did not become old hat. Television made it so new, constant rapid change over material was needed because who was going to watch the Whose on First routine every week?

Also consider the one time one room school houses where the older children were involved with the younger, also increasing human bonding, shared decision making, problem solving. Those children with an innate talent could advance to more challenging instruction instead of dying mentally of boredom, or flat dropping out.

Of course it is plain to see the 'Smart Phone's' built in addiction has poured nuclear fuel on the atomization, the isolation of individuals. Common Sense isn't common anymore because so few have anything in common. Current commercials pushing the notion "people becoming their parents," don't talk, don't interact, don't engage...keep your head down, pay no attention, just take your rapid fire instructions from the High Tech Highway.

Running into all kinds of BS because nearly everyone you deal with believes absolutely No One is without a Smart Phone, and the High Tech Guru's have done, and doing all they can to funnel the whole herd into those lanes. I've long said they will have to pry one into my cold dead hands, but Doc, I fear much of your advice is making live long enough, I just may have to give in.

I considered putting a lock box out at the end of the driveway and have people drop the things into so there can be an honest to God visit, no rapid back and forth, interruptions. But then again who visits, who communes when such a majority is locked into their Tech Bubbles. (Still not used to people wandering around talking when there is no one there. Used to be a signal look out, might be a goofy bird here. Worst of all, such makes me talk to myself. ; )

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Guillermou's avatar
Guillermou
Mar 11

Connecting with Dr. Mercola's insightful report, it's clear that short online videos have gone from a minor distraction to a constant background presence in many children's lives. What once filled a spare moment now defines how young people relax, communicate, and form opinions, with TikTok, Instagram Reels, Douyin, and YouTube Shorts attracting hundreds of millions of under-18s through endlessly personalized feeds. For some tweens, these platforms help develop identity, spark interests, and maintain friendships. For others, the constant stream of content disrupts sleep, erodes boundaries, or steals time for reflection and meaningful interaction. Most research focuses on adolescents, but younger children have less mature self-regulation and a more fragile sense of identity, leaving them highly susceptible to the emotional pull of fast-paced content. Some research suggests a cyclical relationship: young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are particularly drawn to fast-paced content, while heavy use can intensify symptoms that hinder self-regulation. Children experiencing bullying, stress, family instability, or sleep deprivation may also use nighttime scrolling to cope with difficult emotions.

This systematic review and meta-analysis included data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies. Increased short-form video (SFV) use was associated with poorer cognition (moderate mean effect size, r = -.34), with attention (r = -.38) and inhibitory control (r = -.41) showing the strongest associations. Similarly, increased SFV use was associated with poorer mental health (weak mean effect size, r = -.21), with stress (r = -.34) and anxiety (r = -.33) showing the strongest associations.

Another review shows that addiction to short videos primarily impairs attention and self-control, with additional effects on memory, decision-making, and cognitive interaction. Neurological evidence suggests reduced prefrontal activity and increased limbic response, which explains why users are easily distracted and have difficulty switching off. The effects of short videos vary depending on usage patterns, content, and individual traits such as self-control and impulsivity, and strategies like physical exercise and cognitive regulation can help reduce the harm. Overall, short video addiction presents clear cognitive risks, but structured use and personal regulation can mitigate these effects.

This phrase from another report also makes sense: "The impact of digital junk—which, by the way, is increasingly generated by machines, not humans—is pushing our brains to the brink."

These metaphors also make sense:

---Just as ultra-processed foods have a distinctive, synthetic flavor, so does ultra-processed content. It might be appealing in the short term, but in the long run, it leaves you feeling exhausted and disgusting. Few people, if any, feel good on a diet consisting mainly of Skittles. And yet, that's what many of us, especially young people, are doing to our brains.

If you never exercise your body, it will atrophy and weaken. The same is true for your brain. If you don't pay attention to anything for more than 45 seconds, your cognitive abilities will also atrophy. If every time you're bored you need an adult pacifier (say, a short video), you'll never develop self-control. If most of your interaction is parasocial, you'll lose the muscles needed for real-life connection.

Some schools are restricting smartphone use during the school day, and organizations like Amnesty International are urging platforms to introduce safer defaults, better age verification, and greater transparency around their algorithms.

At home, open communication can help children understand their habits and develop healthier ones. Parents can watch videos together, discuss what makes certain clips appealing, and explore how the child felt about particular content.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41231585/ (2025).—

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12230358/ (2025).—

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8001450/ (2025).--

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825009874 (2025).—

https://theconversation.com/social-media-not-gaming-tied-to-rising-attention-problems-in-teens-new-study-finds-271144 (2024).-

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/tiktok-risks-pushing-children-towards-harmful-content/ (2023).--

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-crackdown-on-mobile-phones-in-schools? (2024)

https://bradstulberg.substack.com/p/a-new-study-shows-short-form-video (2025)

https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8067328/v1 (2026).--

https://www.deanfrancis.press/ojs/index.php/hc/article/view/1444 (2026).--

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2026.2623337#d1e881 (2026).--

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