The notion of "peer review" is just an earlier iteration (circa mid 1900s) of the same problem: outsourcing your critical thinking skills. Not all peer reviewed papers are sound; not all "not-peer-reviewed" ideas are invalid. You should be able to spot both.
The brain damage comes from trusting something other than your own brain to tell you what you understand, believe or know. You wind up thinking you hold positions you can't articulate, have skills you can't actually demonstrate, understand things you can't explain, and it's all downhill from there.
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The notion of "peer review" is just an earlier iteration (circa mid 1900s) of the same problem: outsourcing your critical thinking skills. Not all peer reviewed papers are sound; not all "not-peer-reviewed" ideas are invalid. You should be able to spot both.
The brain damage comes from trusting something other than your own brain to tell you what you understand, believe or know. You wind up thinking you hold positions you can't articulate, have skills you can't actually demonstrate, understand things you can't explain, and it's all downhill from there.