Can Viral AI Trends Harm Our Mental Health? Expert Decodes

Dreamy backdrop. Red saree. Sunkissed glow. Aesthetic and perfect facial features. AI checks all these boxes while creating your dreamlike ‘red saree’ avatar. And the result? Our social media feeds are flooding with women joining this viral Gemini Nano Banana trend.

This is not something new though. A while ago, netizens were taking part in the viral Ghibli trend. It transformed people into Japanese animation characters. Social media is also filled with AI images where people morph themselves with their deceased loved ones, or their favourite celebrities.

But one question which often takes the backseat is: are these viral AI trends affecting our mental health? We got in touch with our expert, Dr Madhurima Mondal (Consultant Psychiatrist, MBBS MD and DNB Psychiatry, MR Bangur Hospital, West Bengal), to find the answer.

Can AI Trends Affect Our Self-Perception?

Many believe that these AI trends look way ‘too perfect’. This might promote unrealistic beauty standards among youth. “The new AI trends, like Google Gemini red saree, are creating an idealised version of a person. It is definitely adding on to the pre-existing body image issues which people deal with in the age of social media. It is distorting self-perception. Youth may suffer from an identity crisis or a false sense of identity, which further adds to anxiety and depression,” shares Dr Mondal.

AI Trends Blur The Line Between Reel And Real

For many, these trends are a recreational activity or a mode to engage with their followers. Though all of this might appear harmless, there’s more to this than the eye meets.

“The boundary between the real world and reel world may blur. When social media users take part in trends like morphing their images with deceased loved ones, this may hinder the natural process of grief. This may lead to prolonged grief, anxiety, depression and delusion,” explains Dr Madhurima Mondal.

The expert further adds that people who already deal with mental health disorders might be more likely to be affected by these trends, leading to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and OCD.

Also Read: https://www.onlymyhealth.com/is-unplugging-for-a-day-actually-a-realistic-way-to-improve-your-mental-health-12977838637

Protecting Our Mental Health In The Age Of AI

Dr Madhurima Mondal jots down some tips, which one can follow to safeguard their mental health while taking part in viral AI trends:

• Limit the use of AI tools to prevent self-distortion and to protect your self-identity.
• Use AI tools only for socialising and recreational purposes.
• If you are struggling with anxiety disorder, depression, OCD, or bodily distress disorder, be cautious while taking part in viral AI trends.
• Limit exposure to AI trends if you have pre-existing mental health conditions.
• Avoid over-indulgence.
• Seek professional help when needed.

Bottomline

Viral AI trends can be used for recreational purposes, but one should not overindulge in them. Those who are struggling with mental health conditions should be extra cautious while taking part in AI trends that create a false perception of self.