The internet has turned society into zombies

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Let's not make this a politics/race/religion/conspiracy thread.

Just vent. Discuss.

Some of us remember life BEFORE the internet, some only know life WITH the internet. It's an interesting topic, and something I've found to be fascinating.

I remember my friend with a cell phone around 1998, walking around downtown talking and people literally looking at him and laughing that he was on a phone. Now it's the complete opposite. Matter of fact, it's not even a "cell phone" anymore, it's a "mobile device" since zombies don't speak to one another. They just walk around aimlessly.

Now, I'm not trying to make this a "back in my day" topic, but rather a discussion on how this seriously affects society as a whole. I've read numerous stories of people on dates and they walked out because their date was glued to their device rather than actually talking to their date. We have a generation of people that most likely don't make eye contact with other humans since they're not used to it. Even ordering a pizza doesn't need to involve actually talking to a person. How is this good for our society?

Some people may argue that apps and services make things easier. Yes, they do. They might say "who wants to have to talk to a person when I can just text?". Sure, I get it. Technology has made everything easier (in a sense), however it hasn't made everything SIMPLER.

Years ago if you wanted to rent a movie you had to actually get off your ass and go to a store and find a movie. Today you just click something on an app. Easier? Yes. Simpler? No.

Simpler means we had less, yet we valued it more. Scrolling endlessly and clicking WATCH NOW doesn't have the same effect or value of renting a movie.

The same can be said for music production. It's so easy to make beats today. Is that a better thing? I don't think so. It just enables anyone to make beats, when in fact those same people would not have even considered making beats years ago when you had to actually know what you were doing. Before all this tech, if you wanted to make beats you had to really figure out what gear you needed to do that. Now you can do it on your phone while you're on the toilet.

The internet was NEVER intended to be what it is today. It was simply a way for us to communicate with one another, and at first that's what it was. Chat rooms, forums, ICQ (remember that!?!?) and personal websites were a great way to actually communicate. We also didn't use the internet 24/7. The internet was simply a tool that we could use when we wanted to or needed to.

The internet is corporate now. Everything runs through it, from your banking, TV and movie streaming, social media, news, etc. It's so ingrained in us that we literally have teens growing up thinking their life's mission is to do viral dances on Tiktok in hopes of catching the eye of a sponsor, just so they can get likes, fame, and money.

Sorry for the long rant, I just needed to get it out.

In closing, check out this article. This part is the best:

But now, Mr. Berners-Lee, 65, believes the online world has gone astray. Too much power and too much personal data, he says, reside with the tech giants like Google and Facebook — “silos” is the generic term he favors, instead of referring to the companies by name. Fueled by vast troves of data, he says, they have become surveillance platforms and gatekeepers of innovation.

He Created the Web. Now He’s Out to Remake the Digital World. (Published 2021)

Tim Berners-Lee wants to put people in control of their personal data. He has technology and a start-up pursuing that goal. Can he succeed?

www.nytimes.com

 

[2GooD Productions]

When the internet first came along it was a great thing, the wild west nature of it and the free flow of information ideology behind it was really good. It had its downsides like child porn being one of the worst, and then there were the gore sites with things you think maybe you wish you hadn't seen.
If it wasnt for the internet I think Id still be a zombie believing all the shit on the TV. Thanks to the internet I havent watched TV in about 15 or 20 years. Also having spent 2 decades sifting through bullshit on the internet I think I have a pretty good sense of bullshit these days.

Things started to change when the monopolies came along, the public marketplace of ideas was taken over by corporate interests, once the truths of the world kept coming out, and the propaganda was debunked almost as soon as it came out we then had "fact checkers" come along. We didn't need fact checkers until the truth started coming out.

The control over public discourse has become so one sided its really scary tbh. Tim Berners Lee was huge advocate of the free flow of information and is anti censorship.

When the emote reactions came along then people spoke even less to each other, they would just react. I noticed as my time as an admin on a facebook group that that one thing changed the whole dynamic in how people communicated with each other. People just suddenly stopped talking to each other and you never really got to know anybody anymore.

 

[Fade]

When the emote reactions came along then people spoke even less to each other, they would just react.

That's one of the things I'm talking about. Sure, we do it here as we're joking about certain things, but we all know nothing beats actually replying to someone with text.

Just the whole "like" function alone has turned things sideways.

 

[2GooD Productions]

That's one of the things I'm talking about. Sure, we do it here as we're joking about certain things, but we all know nothing beats actually replying to someone with text.

Just the whole "like" function alone has turned things sideways.

Theres no better way of communicating than talking to each other, agree or disagree, its how we find out about each other, its how we find out about the world, its how we find like minded people and non like minded people. We can test our beliefs against people with opposing beliefs, we might find out our beliefs dont stand up to scrutiny when challenged. I enjoy debates with people that have a completely different point of view and can argue their point of view like a grown up. The closing down of debates and smearing of opposing views as "far right", "racist", "hate speech" only serves to silence one side of the discussion through shaming them into silence.

Its by letting people speak freely that you find out who the real racists are, they dont try to hide it. Let an idiot speak and he will show you everything you need to know. Its through censorship that controversial views are driven underground, people hide their selves and you never know what you are truly dealing with as everyone is too scared to express themselves for fear of offending somebody and having their whole life ruined.

Talking solves everything, we should do it much much more. Preferrably before dropping bombs.

 

[Fade]

Theres no better way of communicating than talking to each other, agree or disagree, its how we find out about each other, its how we find out about the world, its how we find like minded people and non like minded people. We can test our beliefs against people with opposing beliefs, we might find out our beliefs dont stand up to scrutiny when challenged. I enjoy debates with people that have a completely different point of view and can argue their point of view like a grown up. The closing down of debates and smearing of opposing views as "far right", "racist", "hate speech" only serves to silence one side of the discussion through shaming them into silence.

Its by letting people speak freely that you find out who the real racists are, they dont try to hide it. Let an idiot speak and he will show you everything you need to know. Its through censorship that controversial views are driven underground, people hide their selves and you never know what you are truly dealing with as everyone is too scared to express themselves for fear of offending somebody and having their whole life ruined.

Talking solves everything, we should do it much much more. Preferrably before dropping bombs.

Exactly. But again, this comes down to a generational thing. You and I grew up in an era where we actually dealt with one another face to face. The internet didn't exist.

However, the younger generations don't know any different. To them, the internet is God. Everything is internet, even if they don't realize it. They don't know a life without it. That's not good.

This is why it's scary to think how society will be years from now. Just because something is easier doesn't mean it's better, of course not. The problem is that the internet has taken away our ability to communicate properly, to think for ourselves, to just be human.

Do you remember when you were trying to remember a movie some actor was in? Or a quote from a movie? You had to really think about it. Now it's a click away. This means our brains aren't being used like they used to be.

The young generation today don't even know about desktop computers. Probably not even laptops either. It's all mobile devices, and even that they don't have to THINK. They use tons of apps that are explicitly designed to be as simple as possible. Do they know how to build a computer? Probably not. Do they know how computers work? Probably not. Do they know how to work that super famous app? Yep. Like a pro.

That's scary.

 

[2GooD Productions]

Exactly. But again, this comes down to a generational thing. You and I grew up in an era where we actually dealt with one another face to face. The internet didn't exist.

However, the younger generations don't know any different. To them, the internet is God. Everything is internet, even if they don't realize it. They don't know a life without it. That's not good.

This is why it's scary to think how society will be years from now. Just because something is easier doesn't mean it's better, of course not. The problem is that the internet has taken away our ability to communicate properly, to think for ourselves, to just be human.

Do you remember when you were trying to remember a movie some actor was in? Or a quote from a movie? You had to really think about it. Now it's a click away. This means our brains aren't being used like they used to be.

The young generation today don't even know about desktop computers. Probably not even laptops either. It's all mobile devices, and even that they don't have to THINK. They use tons of apps that are explicitly designed to be as simple as possible. Do they know how to build a computer? Probably not. Do they know how computers work? Probably not. Do they know how to work that super famous app? Yep. Like a pro.

That's scary.

Remember how we would have a long list of phone numbers, but get this, it was stored in our heads.
Remember being told at school, "dont use a calculator"
Our ability to cope in social situations has seriously diminished, people dont know how to communicate face to face any more, they spend so much time on facebook, ig, tiktok or twitter that dealing with people face to face is awkward. We are so reliant on technology now that I really do fear the day the power goes off for good.

 

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Remember how we would have a long list of phone numbers, but get this, it was stored in our heads.
Remember being told at school, "dont use a calculator"
Our ability to cope in social situations has seriously diminished, people dont know how to communicate face to face any more, they spend so much time on facebook, ig, tiktok or twitter that dealing with people face to face is awkward. We are so reliant on technology now that I really do fear the day the power goes off for good.

That's what I mean! Thinking back, how did we store all those numbers in our heads? It seems impossible today, but we just did.

I still treat my phone as just that. I rarely use it and definitely don't use social media. But that's me. I just think that people have a choice in HOW they use these devices, and how they use the internet. Unfortunately it's being used the wrong way.

The news used to be something else that was looked at AS NEEDED. Kind of like a tool. When you need it or want it. Now it's all the time. There is absolutely no need for the news to be 24/7.

Social media has completely drained society. And if you're not on any social platforms, people will look at you like you're a weirdo, when in fact it should be the opposite since it's not needed.

What's needed is people to actually start communicating with one another in person like we used to. It's so different than online. VERY different.

 

[2GooD Productions]

Since Ive been booted from Twitter and Facebook Im a lot less angry. Im pretty chilled all the time now to be honest. Social media should be renamed social cancer.

 

[Fade]

Since Ive been booted from Twitter and Facebook Im a lot less angry. Im pretty chilled all the time now to be honest. Social media should be renamed social cancer.

I'll level things out for you then:

 

[2GooD Productions]

 

[Iron Keys]

In regards to music... i notice you get a lot of people who go "I'll download FL and watch some type beat tutorials and 'get this bag'" ... lot of them don't have no interest in music they think they've stumbled onto some money making scheme.

I think it's great that tech has made a lot of things accessible to people who otherwise couldn't indulge in those pursuits. But it's allowed absolute donkeys to flourishwith poor creative work and devalue every creative industry by lowering peoples ability to discern actual qualitywork and so people pay peanuts for some dog shit work.

 

[Iron Keys]

The thing i hate most about it. Is media talking about "trolls" like they even fully understand what it means.

But moreso, the fact that majorityof the people on the internet have resorted to this spiteful name calling fake argument shit. That's their default response. Even on sports posts, people will just spitefully attack people as their initial response just because someone had a different view to a sport stat.

It's like you said, in person, such individuals would get clapped down real quick, and so would learn not to make such stupid comments unless a situation actually called for it.

 

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@Iron Keys For sure. The internet has really warped everyone's minds, whether they realize it or not.

Just today I saw a clip from a Blue Jays game in Toronto where some woman punches a cop:



My first thought was that she thinks she's on the internet and her actions don't have consequences. Society is fucked.

 

[2GooD Productions]

 

[2GooD Productions]

 

[Fade]

Yeah pretty much!

 

[thedreampolice]

The study’s are pretty clear, social media in particular is VERY destructive to society over the long term. Hopefully we can right the ship. Because ignorance and hate is running rampant in a way I would not have thought possible 15 years ago.

 

[Iron Keys]

Because ignorance and hate is running rampant in a way I would not have thought possible 15 years ago.

oppression olympics.

where demographics are less interested in discussing actual issues they face, and more interested in just insulting demographics that aren't them.

often doing mental gymnastics to find farfetched ways that things are against them.

 

[Fade]

Here's the thing though; if all of us were in a room and had to talk to one another, how would that go? Would someone get punched in the face? How long would that take?

 

[Iron Keys]

Here's the thing though; if all of us were in a room and had to talk to one another, how would that go? Would someone get punched in the face? How long would that take?

someone would get punched outside waiting to get in.