Compiled by C.ARUNO and BENJAMIN LEE
ARTIFICIAL intelligence-generated micro dramas have exploded in popularity among the elderly in Taiwan, prompting concerns that they would lead to cognitive decline and limited attention span, China Press reported.
These elderly folk would be glued to their phones the whole day, watching videos that last less than two minutes each.
One Internet user said his mother would do so while dining, cooking and even when she is in the toilet.
“When I was young, my parents kept telling me not to be addicted to my phone.
“Now it’s my turn to ask mum to put down hers,” he wrote.
Others revealed that their family members would get irritable if they were interrupted during their viewing time.
“My mother-in-law is completely hooked. It’s gotten so bad that when we try to talk to her, she responds impatiently. She even watches them while going out for a walk,” one netizen wrote.
Younger viewers said they fail to understand the appeal of the AI micro dramas as most of the story lines are repetitive, usually involving a protagonist from a disadvantaged background rising to success through talent and perseverance.
Experts warned against over-consumption of short-form content, which leads people to scrolling their phones constantly.
In the long run, it is believed that such content could contribute to cognitive decline.
However, AI content creators have defended their works, saying that the videos require painstaking effort in terms of writing scripts and planning scenes.
> A coffee chain in China came under fire after two female employees were caught spraying whipped cream directly into each other’s mouth using store equipment, Guang Ming Daily reported.
Video footage of the incident in Jinan city, Shandong province, showed one of the staff holding a dispenser and spraying cream directly into the other person’s mouth.
They appeared to be having fun after work hours.
The video led to public backlash, with Internet users raising concerns over hygiene practices.
“Where do you draw the line on food safety?” one netizen wrote.
According to other staff members at the outlet, the two employees were dismissed after the incident.
The coffee chain also responded, saying that the leftover whipped cream and dispenser had been disposed of.
The company said the two women had violated internal policies, adding that food safety remained its highest priorities.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
