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Ask HN: How are you preventing brainrot?
8 points by flyingcoder 31 days ago | hide | past | favorite | 18 comments
Hey there, full time software engineer of around 6 years here (post-grad). I’m using Claude Code half of the day now at work, I just can’t keep up with my team if I were to stop coding with AI. I’m more “productive” but my brain feels less sharp and am curious how others are staying sharp, I guess I just need to allocate time to learning new things again but wondering how others are dealing with this. Thanks!


What's working well for me (ymmv):

- Going for a walk at least 1h a day

- Sitting 20min first thing in the morning in sun doing absolutely nothing

- Working out every day, even if just doing some pullups or pushups

- Trying to only use social media for work, not for pleasure

- Talking to AI (Claude) while Claude Code is running in different session, about topics that are interesting to me

I spent about 6-8h online every day on average

Hope it's helpful


I stay sharp by using AI to explore things I don't know.

Kinda works. Helps if you enjoy testing unusual ideas.


I’ve been conflicted on this one, as I will ask it stuff I know a bit about and am looking at getting into the weeds on it, and it gives me bad info. Then I have to correct it to redirect it, and it’s eventually just a parrot. So can I really trust it to tell me what I don’t know at all?

It also feels like another form of brain rot… it’s like arguing online, but worse, since I know for a fact it’s just a bot on the other end.


Can relate to this. I really wonder if the people using AI to learn new skills are checking the output against non-AI sources?

I’ve tried making training content for topics I know well, and LLMs will leave out very important information or write long pages about irrelevant content. The dangerous part is that it all looks and reads plausibly.


Absolutely true. On domains I am an SME it fails miserably and tells me popular half truths. But after steering towards correction it can be accurate.

I tell it not to be confident sounding if the conclusion is not strong.

Sadly commercial models have hidden "helpful guardrails" that are not helpful and want to "balance" answers with garbage.

Its an art to steer but it can be done.


I tell it to examine both sides or find flaws with a position.

I try not to lead it to my preferred conclusion.

Bad info can be mitigated by asking for human sources and citations.

Make the bot work for you.


The best way: Measure things, list the results, and compare the numbers. Making determinations about product improvement based on numbers always requires original opinions.

Most developers cannot do this, especially when the numbers contradict favored opinions.


For me it’s about building a legacy outside of work. + I volunteer for associations, try to launch simple things that are actually meaningful to people, and occasionally give things away as open source. + I also keep learning things, but it could be any language or technology that makes you curious again. + Go out, talk to people, attend events, work on issues or bugs that exist in the real world.


Basically, I do stuff like I did before the Internet.

I still code for fun.

I write detailed specs for AI. Although I feel like this is, or is about to be, obsolete.

I read books.

I play chess.

I play words games.

I make stuff with wood and tools.

I go more places.

I cook more food.

I am not jaded about any of this. I am highly adaptable and refuse to think about myself as a victim.

I am optimistic and excited to see what the future holds. But it will require much adaptation and reflection on my identity as part of that process.


I'm taking up drawing again. Whenever I find myself doomscrolling I pick up my sketchbook. I'm also trying to read more books. Every time I'm about to open a social media app, I try to open my ebook app instead. But years of too much social media has already atrophied those mental muscles, so it's been difficult.


I self-quarantined ever since AI took over the industry and it's been the most productive year so far. I essentially take the next problem to tackle and go insane for a couple days until it compiles. Highly recommend.


I just try to set aside at least an hour a day to learn something new or pick up a new programming language. If I’m not feeling up to that, I’ll watch some science stuff or just read a book.


Chess on phone, with people, but disable chat.


In another threads, someone suggested to use the AI but retype the suggestions of the AI instead of using cut&paste or letting the AI edit the source code.

During the class in the university, I liked to take notes. I believe any bullshit on the blackboard, but if my hand has to write it in paper I have to pay attention and learn more.

My notes were horrible, so I usually discard them at the end of the semester and photocopy from someone that writes correctly. The end objective were not the notes, but my hand learning math.


I touch grass.

The world out there is largely still there. You can get curious, read about it, join communities, ask people, practice skills and so on.


Move into Management.


Do research yourself, don't watch reels, find a hobby sport, touch grass


meditate. exercise. fuck. read. go out. be bored. garden. travel.




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