Cognitive domestication in the age of algorithms: a study of the mechanisms by which AI divination influences the decision-making of Generation Z youth

Against the backdrop of the deep integration of digital technology and youth subculture, AI tools such as DeepSeek have rapidly gained popularity among Generation Z, giving rise to a new cultural practice known as AI divination. This collective behavior reflects deeper cultural anxieties, as young people in the AI era constructed by algorithms are gradually losing their ability to engage with complex realities. How does AI divination reshape Generation Z's decision-making patterns? Does prolonged reliance on AI divination lead to a preference for simplistic attributions of complex realities, thereby eroding their capacity for deep thinking? Existing research has revealed the emotional motivations behind young people's online divination practices, but lacks in-depth exploration of how AI technology influences their decision-making. This study focuses on Gen Z's use of DeepSeek for AI divination, employing text analysis and in-depth interviews to investigate the mechanisms through which AI divination impacts young people's daily decision-making and the evolution of their cognitive patterns. The findings reveal that Generation Z's decision-making patterns exhibit a restructuring trend from deep thinking to algorithmic dependency. Through sustained interaction, young people's cognition undergoes a dynamic process of cognitive domestication. This study reveals the interactive relationship between technology and young people's cognition in the digital age, providing empirical evidence for understanding the digital transformation of Generation Z's subculture and the patterns of technology adoption.