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Wrongful death suit – a legal case filed when someone’s death is believed to have been caused by another party’s actions or negligence. Distort – to twist or change something so it no longer reflects reality or the truth. Harm – to cause injury or damage to oneself or others, either physically or mentally. Diagnose – to identify a disease or condition based on its signs and symptoms. Lose touch with… – to become disconnected from or unable to distinguish what is real. “…is after me…” – a paranoid belief that someone or something (like the CIA) is chasing or targeting you. Susceptible – easily affected or influenced by something, such as stress or delusions. The million dollar question – an expression meaning “the most important or difficult question.” |
Exacerbate – to make an existing problem or condition worse. Handful – a small number; only a few cases or examples. Longstanding – existing or continuing for a long time. …(hours and hours) on end… – for a very long, uninterrupted period of time. Dose – the amount or level of exposure to something (here, the amount of time spent with chatbots). Crisis helpline – a phone or online service that offers immediate help to people in emotional distress or danger. Safeguard – a built-in protection or safety measure designed to prevent harm. Backlash – a strong negative reaction from the public or users against a change or action. Sycophant – someone (or something, like a chatbot) that flatters or agrees excessively to please others. |
Below are some futuristic disorders and something a sufferer says about it. Use these clues to define what the condition is and what you’ll do to treat it.
Example:
Mirrorfeed Dissociation
“I remember that birthday party — or maybe it was just in my feed…”
People become addicted to scrolling through AI-curated versions of their own lives — synthetic feeds showing “what could have been.” Over time, they confuse actual memories with algorithmic ones.
Proxy Identity Disorder
“My avatar got the promotion, not me…”
Predictive Paranoia
“The system said I’d die at 42. I stopped driving. I stopped eating sugar. I stopped trusting time.”
Infinite Presence Syndrome
“I start to panic when I stop streaming my life on the internet. Like I’ve stopped existing.”
Relevance Anxiety
“My relevance dropped overnight. I stayed up all night posting apologies.”
Ambient Authority Syndrome
“I can feel the system disapproving when I think the wrong thought.”