Wouldn’t it be that by inputting good information, we can make better choices for ourselves?

https://ko-fi.com/post/Wouldnt-it-be-that-by-inputting-good-information-F1F81LH9EY?fromEditor=true

Recently, I’ve been actively consuming information related to neuroscience and cognition. I struggle a lot with directly listening to and understanding English, so I end up looking for Japanese sources. Fortunately, more and more high-quality translations have been appearing lately. On top of that, with YouTube’s auto-dubbing feature, I can now understand most of the content, which is a really good trend.

It’s said that the amount of information in English on the internet is about ten times greater than in Japanese. Hearing that really makes you realize how much less exposed we Japanese are to information. And when you try to study or output something like neuroscience, many Japanese people often laugh at you with things like, “What’s the point of that?” or “Wow, you’re so pretentious (lol).” That’s why I won’t post this on Fantia… (lol).

But among those who say such things, I think there are people who can’t find dreams, hopes, or goals in their own lives, drag themselves through work they don’t even want to do every day, then come home and say it’s for “stress relief” while drinking alcohol, devouring chips, scrolling endlessly on social media or wasting time with entertainment videos. Before they realize it, it’s past midnight and they rush to bed. I suspect quite a few people are living like this.

Deep down, they probably think they don’t want such a life, yet they believe they can’t change it… or maybe they convince themselves that “this isn’t so bad.” Then, when they finally realize it, they’re already at an age where it’s too late to turn things around. Honestly, I think this is already happening to many people.

I believe it’s possible to reclaim your life at any age — but of course, the earlier you start, the better.

The fact that even I noticed this means that many others are facing, or have faced, the same reality. In fact, YouTubers in the U.S. who share content about self-improvement often have millions of subscribers. That shows how many people are suffering from the illnesses of modern life, while at the same time struggling to overcome these bad habits.

There are a few modern “diseases” that eat away at us from the inside, which many people commonly point out. Let’s list them:

• Social media

• Porn

• Junk food

These are the big three.

Social media, by design, tends to show posts that provoke conflict between people. Being forced to see this stuff diverts our attention from what really matters, dragging us into unrelated disputes that waste our time and energy. We might even end up joining unnecessary arguments ourselves, getting exhausted, or even hurting others.

And honestly, no one truly wants to hurt others. So this is nothing but a tragedy. While we live in a time when everyone is on social media, it’s not suited for everyone, and those with real goals shouldn’t be wasting their focus and willpower on such things. Platforms profit from our attention, so they will use any means necessary — sometimes shady ones — to keep us tied down. Since these spaces also encourage constant comparison with others, they easily lead to decreased happiness and self-esteem.

That’s probably why so many successful businesspeople who advocate self-improvement warn: “Don’t mindlessly scroll social media.”

Here’s an image of search suggestions that appear when you type “social media” (SNS) in Japanese. It seems that quite a few people suspect they’d live better lives if they quit.

The suggestions being shown include things like “People who don’t use social media are smart,” “It should be abolished,” or “Wealthy people don’t use it.”

The same applies to porn. Porn addiction is said to be extremely harmful and damaging to the brain. It leads to excessive dopamine release, making it harder to focus on what you should be doing. With reduced prefrontal cortex function, you find it difficult to quit despite wanting to, and impulsive behaviors increase. Some also argue that porn addiction is less about being born with a strong sex drive, and more about lacking clear goals in life. If you recognize porn addiction in yourself, you might be able to escape it by setting clear goals.

Then there’s junk food, which is engineered with strong flavors to increase dependence and push overconsumption. On top of that, excessive fat, salt, and carbs raise the risk of obesity.

Of course, in moderation these aren’t major problems. But when your brain gets hooked, chasing excessive stimulation and spending too much time on them, the gears of your life quickly start to go off track.

Life is a series of choices, and we can decide most things for ourselves. Things like endlessly scrolling social media, watching porn, or eating junk food — we can avoid them if we stay conscious of our actions.

If your mind is being dominated by these, try a digital detox, or switch from junk food to real food — you may find it surprisingly easy to break away. Once you start exercising, you naturally become more aware of what you put into your body. And once you set goals for yourself, even when tempted by bad habits, you’ll be able to reflect: “Do I really need this right now?”

In the end, what we need to guide our actions is mindset. That’s what I’ve come to understand recently.