Platforms Managed by Algorithms Designed to Exploit Human Weakness

         Mobile Phone Use    
                      

Raises Dopamine and Impairs Attention… Beware of Digital Drugs on Your Phone

Addiction is no longer just about injecting or ingesting chemicals. In the digital age, it's now "downloaded as an app" and disguised as free entertainment, while the real price is paid in human consciousness and mental health. 

This is what specialists have revealed about the phenomenon of behavioral cocaine, which has become one of the most dangerous silent challenges threatening societal security and human consciousness. 

Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Unit at the Arab Center for Research, warns that this addiction relies on seemingly "normal" behaviors such as compulsive engagement with notifications and constant interaction with platforms.

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Exploiting Human Weakness

He explained that these platforms are managed by algorithms designed to exploit human weakness and stimulate the brain's reward centers using the same mechanisms as traditional drugs, leading to an unhealthy increase in dopamine levels and a loss of attention.

[Image] This gradually leads to decreased concentration, sleep disturbances, increased anxiety, and a weakened ability to think critically and make sound decisions. 

He emphasized that these effects don't appear suddenly, but rather accumulate slowly until they become part of an individual's daily behavior. Ramadan stressed that this digital drain makes individuals easy prey for cybercrimes, as their critical thinking abilities diminish, making them vulnerable to fraud, misinformation, and digital extortion.

For his part, Major General Khaled Hamdi, former Assistant Minister of the Interior of Egypt, shifted the focus of the phenomenon from the psychological to the security sphere, asserting that this behavioral "cocaine" has become a "direct threat to societal security." 

In his interview with Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net, he pointed out that weakening collective awareness makes it easier to be swayed by rumors and misleading content, which can be exploited by dubious agendas to destabilize the country or manipulate public opinion through artificial intelligence tools.

Cyber ​​Education

Major General Hamdi emphasized that children and adolescents are the most vulnerable due to the incomplete development of their brain's control centers. He described digital platforms as competing within the "attention economy," where user focus has become a commodity sold to advertisers without regard for ethical responsibility or mental health.

The security official called for the adoption of a comprehensive countermeasure strategy that includes integrating "cyber education" concepts into educational and media policies and strengthening the family's role in conscious digital oversight. He also called for the development of legislative frameworks that balance technological innovation with the protection of human consciousness.

Major General Hamdi concluded by stressing that modern cybersecurity is now concerned with "protecting the human mind" from manipulation. Those who lose control of their attention gradually lose their ability to choose, making addressing this phenomenon an urgent necessity to protect the future of generations.