President of Üsküdar University and Chairman of the Board Prof. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated the issue of digital dementia on the AKLA ZİYAN program broadcast on EKOTÜRK TV.
“Digital dementia is not a textbook definition, but it has some truth to it”
Stating that the term “digital dementia” is not a medical diagnosis, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the concept is a metaphor used to strikingly describe the digital world's impact on memory.
Prof. Tarhan said, “It's actually a definition that hasn't made it into textbooks. A metaphor was intended there. It's a slightly exaggerated term to make the negative effects of digital technology on human memory striking. It’s not a textbook term, but it has truth in that digitalization seriously causes memory erosion in humans, especially in children.”
“Digital devices are used like a backup brain”
Stating that with digitalization, people tend to remember where to access information rather than learning it, Prof. Tarhan said, “They keep the digital world like a backup brain. When kept like a backup brain, the brain doesn't use the areas that make deep meaningful recordings, that do deep learning. They say, ‘Since there’s a backup brain, I’ll ask it.’ The human brain, which only focuses on where to find what, is affected.”
Copy-paste information does not provide deep learning
Stating that merely finding information is not enough, Prof. Tarhan said that the fundamental element that develops the human brain is to give meaning to information, interpret it, and re-express it.
Prof. Tarhan said, “One reads, writes, extracts, pastes, cuts, pastes, but if they don't engage in deep thinking to produce meaning, make new interpretations, or build new knowledge, they struggle here.” He added, “What develops the human brain the most is being open to new experiences and learning new things, but people learn this when they add their own interpretation. When the brain simply sends and transfers information like a traffic policeman, it learns nothing. For it to learn, it must understand, interpret, and explain.”
“Artificial intelligence still has significant limitations”
Stating that artificial intelligence provides significant conveniences in accessing information but cannot fully replace human thinking and evaluation processes, Tarhan emphasized the need for caution in AI use regarding ethics and personal data.
Prof. Tarhan noted that there are important discussions about the transparency of artificial intelligence algorithms and digital footprints, adding that digitalization increasingly penetrates people's private worlds and can weaken deep relationships while increasing superficial ones.
“Digital dementia is not a clinical dementia”
Underlining that digital dementia should not be confused with clinical dementia, Prof. Tarhan remarked, “While being called digital dementia, it doesn't take the definition of dementia, the clinical diagnosis, but it does impair memory…”
Tarhan stated that intense digital exposure can also affect social communication skills, noting that young people who are highly successful in technology can sometimes struggle with face-to-face communication and developing social relationships.
“The brain works according to the ‘use it or lose it’ rule”
Explaining that digital devices taking over memory functions can reduce people's need to remember some information, Prof. Tarhan said, “When there is no mobile phone, people sometimes even forget their own number. The brain works according to the ‘use it or lose it’ rule. Information you don't use goes to distant memory in the brain.”
Underlining that digital technology is beneficial when used correctly, Prof. Tarhan stated, “If a person with a purpose uses the digital world to make purpose-oriented shares, conduct purpose-oriented queries, and support their goals rather than for pleasure and entertainment, the digital world itself does not harm, nor does it impair memory. Its misuse does.”
“Technology enslaves those without purpose”
Prof. Tarhan emphasized that technophobia is not the right approach, stating, “Technology itself is neutral. It helps someone with a good purpose, becomes a tool. It simplifies life but enslaves and makes a slave of someone without purpose.”
Algorithms learn human weaknesses
Stating that digital platforms offer personalized content by analyzing users’ interests, Prof. Tarhan drew attention to its potential to direct human behavior, saying, “If we enter topics, keywords, those videos or visuals come to us. Here, they are essentially developing a personalized robot. This exploits our weaknesses.”
Attention span is progressively shortening
Prof. Tarhan also touched upon the effect of continuous-scrolling social media use on attention, saying, “Scrolling, you know; attention…” indicating that the rapid consumption of digital content makes focusing difficult.
Tarhan said that in the past, students' attention in class could wander after about 14-15 minutes, but today, this can decline to as little as 3-4 minutes in some cases.
“Digital detox” recommendation for families
Stating that digital use should also be regulated with common rules within the family, Prof. Tarhan said, “We recommend a ‘digital detox’ on a certain day of the week in a family. Everyone will put down their phones and read a book together for one or two hours.”
Prof. Tarhan stated, “If you're scrolling on your phone before going to bed, sleep won't come easily,” emphasizing that digital devices should be put aside before sleep.
Underlining that digitalization offers very important opportunities that facilitate and accelerate life, Tarhan emphasized that correct use is decisive, saying, “Digitalization has added many things to our lives, but if we use it correctly, it simplifies and accelerates our lives. If we use it incorrectly, the greatest harm is to human mental health; it negatively affects people.”
“Digitalization is a global threat”
Tarhan stated that digital addiction can progress to serious behavioral problems in children, such as school refusal and food refusal, remarking, “Digitalization is a global threat.”
Stating that one of the most important consequences of intense digital use is the decline in deep focus ability, Prof. Tarhan said, “It is definitely damaged. The loss of deep focus means the loss of one of the greatest learning abilities in a person's life.”
Tarhan noted that the “flow state,” which signifies a person's complete immersion in their work, is also important for psychological resilience, adding that a brain unable to concentrate on a single task for long continuously seeks short-term pleasures.
“Not dementia, let's call it memory erosion”
Tarhan stated that forgetfulness caused by digital use should not be confused with dementia, adding that using digital devices as a “backup memory” can reduce the recording of information in the mind.
Tarhan said, “People see the digital world as a backup memory. They use their memory focused on where to find information, not on recording it in the brain.” He noted that when the device is not nearby, a person may struggle to access information.
Tarhan, “It's not dementia; dementia is a senile disease. But we can say that digitalization causes memory erosion.”
Prof. Tarhan said, “These are generally forgetfulness we call ‘secondary to attention problems’.” He added, “When a person experiences difficulty focusing, they mistake it for forgetfulness. However, the brain isn't focusing and recording the information.”
“Multi-tasking hinders deep learning”
Prof. Tarhan said, “One of the biggest damages caused by digitalization is that it impairs our attention and makes people ‘multi-task’. They think they are dealing with many things simultaneously, but they cannot learn anything from any of them, nor can they get any efficiency.”
Stating that attention needs to be concentrated on a single point for a certain period for information to become permanent, Prof. Tarhan said, “To learn deeply, one needs to focus and isolate themselves for a certain period. When this happens, the brain makes a chemical recording. Otherwise, the recording remains electrical, like writing on sand, and is erased. In deep learning, it remains permanent, like writing on stone.”
“If we let the digital world do our reasoning, there will be mental atrophy”
Stating that one of the most fundamental characteristics of the mind is to establish connections between different pieces of information, Prof. Tarhan noted that digital systems constantly making connections and interpretations on behalf of humans can affect reasoning skills.
Prof. Tarhan said, “Our mind requires us to connect one event with another and make a new interpretation. When you always let the digital world do this connecting, reasoning is impaired.”
Tarhan noted that logical, emotional, and social reasoning are different mental processes, stating, “Because they cannot make connections, mental laziness and atrophy occur in the person.”
Tarhan also stated that children's constant exposure to violent content in the digital environment should be taken seriously, adding that children, especially at young ages, may not be able to distinguish between the content they see and reality as easily as adults.
Handwriting method for assignments done with artificial intelligence
Tarhan stated that students' use of artificial intelligence in assignments has made it necessary for educators to develop new methods, adding that some faculty members have started having students handwrite their assignments.
Tarhan added, “They can look at AI and write by hand, but ultimately, writing still has a benefit. It develops writing skills,” emphasizing that instead of completely banning technology, how it can be integrated into the learning process should be discussed.
