The Proliferation of Ultra-Processed Knowledge (UPK) and the Atrophy of Cognitive Digestion in the Algorithmic Age

Contemporary information ecology is characterized by the rapid dominance of short-form videoformats, curated summaries, and algorithmic snippets. While existing communication literatureprimarily focuses on screen time duration or content veracity (e.g., fake news), this paper introduces anew conceptual paradigm: Ultra-Processed Knowledge (UPK). Transposing the nutritional concept ofUltra-Processed Foods (UPF) into cognitive science and cultural philosophy, UPK refers to informationpre-masticated by algorithmic curation that strips away structural context, narrative friction, and ambiguity, delivering immediate dopamine-driven rewards. We demonstrate how UPK bypasses top-down executive control, deactivates the Default Mode Network (DMN), and impairs long-term memory consolidation, leading to a state of 'cognitive digestion atrophy.' Culturally and philosophically, UPKdegrades narrative literacy and deep reading capabilities, inducing existential helplessness whereindividuals forfeit existential self-authorship to algorithmic recommendation engines. This paperprovides an interdisciplinary framework establishing UPK as a critical locus of cognitive and culturalinquiry.