Sure Seems Like Technology Is Downgrading Life

[pockybot]

Anyone miss the days when everyone around you, including ourselves, weren't obsessive compulsively checking facebook, fidgeting with touch screens, living for the 'likes', tweeting, retweeting, and taking pictures/instagramming every moment?

I'm sure a lot of you dig the show Portlandia, but this new sketch really made me laugh, but also serves a pretty spot on point


In that skit, every moment of Carrie Brownstein's life is cluttered and augmented by facebook status, messages, texts, tweets, etc...
but the real moment comes when her co-star Fred Armisen doesnt recognize her because she removed herself from facebook and social networking. As if her very being and identity only exists
if she is "googleable" and on facebook

As people often half jokingly say, "it's not a real relationship til it's facebook status official".

It's also become a running meme in of itself, how infatuated with zombie apocalypse memes people are, yet walking outside you see nothing but people walking and texting.

It just seems to me like people are having less and less organic, enjoyable moments.

[I Wake Up Early]

The technology itself isn't bad, it's people using it obsessively. Before facebook it was constant texting, anyway.

[-Kali-La-Fae-]

True, but where do you draw the line? I DO like electricity.

These things are the result of progress.

Do we stop that just because people aren't smart enough to use it to it's potential and not like media whores?

And are people in charge even smart enough to make that call...

Damn I made myself sad.

[Suicidesoldier#1]

It all depends on how you use it.

Self moderation is key; if they weren't addicted to facebook likes or twitter it would be football or crack cocaine.


You have to have balance in your life, learn to walk away and relax.

Maybe use the mediums for something different; I roleplay different games, write A LOT, often about crazy things or scientific studies, so I'm actually helping myself by learning more things.


At the same time, I can keep it interesting and fun!

Worst case scenario it's still "social" if it's done in a forum, like the ED; I prowl a lot of forums, gaia happens to be pretty big though for how small it is. O_O

[Suicidesoldier#1]

-Kali-La-Fae-

True, but where do you draw the line? I DO like electricity.

These things are the result of progress.

Do we stop that just because people aren't smart enough to use it to it's potential and not like media whores?

And are people in charge even smart enough to make that call...

Damn I made myself sad.

Pssft, electricity is for sissiess!

Back in my day, all we had was some sticks and a rock to play with; and we had to share the rock!


A family of 11 back then, not like these 3 today.

Yes sirree, we had to walk up hill BOTH WAYS to work when we were just 6 years old for 10 cents and hour in the coal mine!


The work took so much out of me I don't even remember it!

[Corrupting Clay]

pockybot

Anyone miss the days when everyone around you, including ourselves, weren't obsessive compulsively checking facebook, fidgeting with touch screens, living for the 'likes', tweeting, retweeting, and taking pictures/instagramming every moment?

I don't really do those things right now. My only internet vice is arguing with people, and honestly without the internet I'd probably just spend time at coffee houses and bookshops doing the exact same thing with fewer and dumber people, less enriched for it.

My news is better, my access to scholarship amazingly robust for a layman, I can listen to music all day for free and watch videos of cute kittens whenever I want, and I can argue about how technology is eroding the moral fabric of society. Sounds like basically a perfect life to me.

[Henrika]

I've been in a relationship for ages now, in a few months it'll be a year, and we still didn't put it on Facebook.


I just don't use it all that often, except when I have to (for scheduling purposes.)

Ditto with a lot of of other social media.

[low iq 111]

i can socialize irl ...i'm making ppl laugh a lot at work at least

i just cant figure out how to make friends

or like, ask people out for coffee or whatever it is that you do to make friends

but what has been 'natural' about our lives

this thread is dumb

i'm learning so much and 'meeting' some really cool ppl with the internet

100 years ago i would have been like what? interacting 'normally' but i would have been married at 20 and have a kid by now

actually....that might have been cool...but i doubt i would have been able to meet and choose from so many ppl as i can now with the internet ....i would've just been married to someone i didnt like too much

[low iq 111]

we've never had 'modern' culture w/o technology

look, you can either have a large internet fanbase or you can have real life friends...it's whatever

you don't have to be a smug a*****e about one being better

the internet gives ppl with social anxiety an outlet and stuff

and its a cheap way to interact and enjoy yourself

i'm too poor to do 'activities' or whatever it is that ppl do to socialize

[Tackle and Tickle]

Suicidesoldier#1

-Kali-La-Fae-

True, but where do you draw the line? I DO like electricity.

These things are the result of progress.

Do we stop that just because people aren't smart enough to use it to it's potential and not like media whores?

And are people in charge even smart enough to make that call...

Damn I made myself sad.

Pssft, electricity is for sissiess!

Back in my day, all we had was some sticks and a rock to play with; and we had to share the rock!


A family of 11 back then, not like these 3 today.

Yes sirree, we had to walk up hill BOTH WAYS to work when we were just 6 years old for 10 cents and hour in the coal mine!


The work took so much out of me I don't even remember it!

I find it strange when people complain about no electricity. I remember as a child going without any electricity or running water for over 4 months and having to deal with it as it repeatedly went out. We caught rain water to flush toilets. Filled up trash bins and water gallons when it came on to shower and drink. We lit lamps and candles to see, and mosquito coils to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes as we slept on the hard ground.

Yes. I fondly remember swinging those sticks like swords and staffs with my brothers and cousins, but we never had to share our rocks as there was always plenty on the ground.

Never had 11 siblings that was phasing out in my father's generation who had 12 siblings. Me I only had 4 siblings alive when I was growing up as 2 had past away.

Oh. I got to hate those hills. After walking to and from school, then at the age of 7 walking to work not to any coal mine we don't have any here, but to the jungle to harvest fruits and vegetables as at that age hunting wild deer and pig was slated for the older children. So mostly the older cousins went to fish and hunt and the females cleaned the housing and prepared the pit to cook the food over the charcoal that we children cut and hauled. We did get paid for the work 25 cents an hour and afterwards we could walk a few miles to the closest store and buy us a treat. I was fond of drinking my cold bottle (glass) of coca-cola at the time plastic bottles and aluminum cans for soda didn't exist.

Hey where did you ththink we got our sticks from. We take our knives to carve the stick and after it dried polish until no splinters.


So we climbed trees to pick fruits to eat and pickle later. Pickle mango is my favorite, second is pickled papaya. We had to be careful as we where in the jungle from snakes and once was chased up a tree by a wild Sow ( female pig) with piglets. Those where the days.
EDIT:

When people only pay attention to the virtual or digital they miss out on those good memories of the time they first tried shooting a
bow and arrow which is when I first knew I was endending my childhood and preparing for adulthood.

Of course you get injured and times change. I remember when the world wide web first became available. Records I listened to became available on tape, then CD's and now mp3s. Time change quickly. People should get out more, schedule a blackout day at least once a year. Turn off all non essential electrical devices including lights for a day. No smart phones, no computers. Enjoy the outdoors.

[wasabichan]

I'm not a luddite or anything, far from it, but my feeling is that some people are losing their sense of integrity. Without kidding myself that I'm interesting enough to have my imternet activities traced by NSA or whatever it still bugs me when my web searches or advertisements are tailored to fit my "internet profile" or whatever. Thank goodness for firefox plugins. And I don't care that I don't exist to some people, I'm not joining facebook. ninja

[God Emperor Baldur]

If you get sucked into social networking as a way of life, you only have yourself to blame. I rarely go on Facebook and I use Photobucket instead of Instagram.

[Tackle and Tickle]

wasabichan

I'm not a luddite or anything, far from it, but my feeling is that some people are losing their sense of integrity. Without kidding myself that I'm interesting enough to have my imternet activities traced by NSA or whatever it still bugs me when my web searches or advertisements are tailored to fit my "internet profile" or whatever. Thank goodness for firefox plugins. And I don't care that I don't exist to some people, I'm not joining facebook. ninja

Unbeknownst to you, the NSA has joined forces with Facebook and created an account for you filling out your profile based on you internet searches.

Well they had to after all they invented social networking. Why not what better way to get people's information and daily activities than have them provide it themselves.

[wasabichan]

Tackle and Tickle

wasabichan

I'm not a luddite or anything, far from it, but my feeling is that some people are losing their sense of integrity. Without kidding myself that I'm interesting enough to have my imternet activities traced by NSA or whatever it still bugs me when my web searches or advertisements are tailored to fit my "internet profile" or whatever. Thank goodness for firefox plugins. And I don't care that I don't exist to some people, I'm not joining facebook. ninja

Unbeknownst to you, the NSA has joined forces with Facebook and created an account for you filling out your profile based on you internet searches.

Well they had to after all they invented social networking. Why not what better way to get people's information and daily activities than have them provide it themselves.

You'd think the NSA had better things to do than scroll through google searches like "baby vomits all the time" or "how to fold shirt".