Study: Videos and photos on the Internet can affect and change thinking

The Internet constantly bombards us with digital images. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

After analyzing images on Google, Wikipedia, and the IMDb movie database, researchers concluded that photos and videos on the internet can influence our thinking and may even change it, BBC News Ukraine reports.

According to scientific studies, the average user spends 6 hours and 40 minutes online each day, making the images we encounter a significant part of our visual perception. Research shows that photos and videos shared on social media and websites can reinforce our biases and stereotypes.

Scientists warn that the growing volume of images on the Internet could come with a high social cost. "Social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok accelerate the mass production of images, which strengthens existing stereotypes," the study states.

At the same time, artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT can also inherit such biases and stereotypes.

Researchers suggest taking a mindful approach to curating news and social media feeds, limiting time spent on social media, and choosing diverse sources of visual content.

As reported by the UOJ, scientists discovered a third state between life and death.

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