The Internet/Smartphone is killing us?

[McLovin]

I've always been interested in the subject of how deeply the internet is going to effect us, and future generations. Even 5-10 years ago, I felt it was going to have the biggest impact on humanity since . . . well, maybe ever.

I could see it everywhere, including here. For example, in PARF, where I was always amazed at how many people could post there literally from morning to night, almost non-stop, dozens of posts a day, month after month (some for years). Trying so passionately to "win" crazy, meaningless arguments. The inability to see the meaninglessness of it, and the fervor, time, and emotional energy devoted to it, seemed very unhealthy to me.

But that's just a car parts BBS. The current generation has it much worse, with all the various forms of social media, group chats, etc. etc.

Most of us here are older, and grew up in the analog age, so there's a limit to which we're affected by the Internet. But for the "iGeneration," I do wonder what the ultimate impact of the Internet - and the Smartphone which puts the Internet in our hands 24/7, will be. Good or bad, I think it will be profound.

Here's the most comprehensive analysis I've seen so far. I thought it was interesting. Thoughts?

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

[RKDinOKC]

We are BORG, you will be assimilated.

[legion]

Which is why my kids rarely get to use electronic devices.

[island911]

sure, the internet is killing us. But where else can we find out what's killing us?

[scottmandue]

Yep, we are definitely being changed by our devices.

Eight years ago my wife insisted her teenage daughter learn how to drive a stick shift and look up an address on a paper map. Now we live by google maps and she comes to bed then plays with her phone for an hour before going to sleep.

Also, remember when you could look something up on the internet without having to scroll through a dozen ads in the response?

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by island911

sure, the internet is killing us. But where else can we find out what's killing us?

Now that there is funny!

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by legion

Which is why my kids rarely get to use electronic devices.

I think that's a good idea. Hard to do, though, and all you can do is delay the inevitable, but any delay is good.

Luckily, my kids were old enough that I was able to hold them off from getting smartphones until around 14/15 years old. They used the internet very little until that time, and led very analog lives (no video games, played outside for entertainment, participated in real sports - which got both of them into top colleges BTW).

I'm grateful for that. Since high school they have had smart phones, etc., but they didn't grow up with them since a very early age and they are not tied to their devices like most kids who are 5 years younger than them.

[flipper35]

George Orwell had it wrong. We gladly put them in our pockets without thinking twice about it.

[URY914]

I guarantee my childhood was more fun because I didn't have a smartphone.

[pete3799]

Originally Posted by URY914

I guarantee my childhood was more fun because I didn't have a smartphone.

Exactly.

[RKDinOKC]

There were also better tv shows and cartoons with not nearly as many commercials.

[R K T]

I have a question about our phones.......

The other night my wife and I were talking about maybe doing a Hawaii vacation for our upcoming 30th anniversary. Just general conversation about which islands, which hotels etc.
Her phone was laying on the coffee table and mine was in my pocket. The next morning we both had ads on our email for hotels in Hawaii!

Are our phones listening to us? Even when they aren't "on"?

Freakin' scary if so.

[MikeSid]

It used to be that the old curmudgeons would blame the TV for the idiocy of the next generation.

I agree that history will mark the development of the internet and mobile networks as an unparalleled change in humanity - simultaneous advancement and decline. But all forms of evolution are violent- almost by definition. The old way must die off and be replaced.

Clearly there are real and serious downsides to youth being changed by this technology. There is a part of childhood that is being lost. Personally I don't know how to feel about that. It is being replaced with something I cannot relate to. That makes me uncomfortable.

But can I really say that this evolution, as awkward as it is for me, is wrong? My gut says, it's two steps forward and one step back. Maybe I should focus on the forward part. Besides, history will only remember the delta anyway.

[Bill Douglas]

Ah, changin' times. My feelings are I got to enjoy both.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by legion

Which is why my kids rarely get to use electronic devices.

We do the same thing (ages 5 & 7)... We found that our kids turned into rabid animals whenever we took them away, so the simple solution was to not let them have 'em in the first place.

We got a funny comment the other day in a restaurant the other day from an older guy who noticed our kids reading at the table... he jokingly wandered over and said "Hey! look at this poor family that can't afford iPads for their kids!"

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

There were also better tv shows and cartoons with not nearly as many commercials.

Are there even kids cartoons anymore?

and then there 10 year olds watching porn... not sure what that is doing to their brains.

[ckelly78z]

It's amazing to me how people even just a bit younger than me (I'm 52), are completely concerned with checking in with a resturaunt while eating, or shopping just to let their internet friends know their actions. These are the same people who take a "before, and after" pic, and then hurry through their meal, so they can see who "liked", "shared", or "commented" on it, evidently giving them some sort of re-assurance that they made the right choice.

My wife and I have another couple (real actual freinds), who compete to see who can get the most veiws on mindless home videos they take throughout the day.
My cell phone is generally on my desk at work, or the kitchen table at home, and is checked several times a day, but not permanately attached to the palm of my hand, and is sometimes tough to get ahold of me.......i'm not concerned.

[Jolly Amaranto]

My parent's old property in central Texas is off the grid. Very limited cell phone coverage, no internet and no satellite TV. My brother proposed to get a cell phone repeater/signal amplifier and run it up the broadcast TV mast. (The TV stations are very limited) My kids and his kids shot that idea down real quick. They cherish the ability of being able to get away from all the distractions.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Personally I think the thing that's MOST killing us is the food lobby (corn products, meat products, processed food in general, Monsanto, etc.) but over-reliance on technology is a close second.

It's crazy how dependent we become on our little pocket-brains and how little we end up using our own as a result. Long-term it's GOT TO have consequences and not good ones.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

There were also better tv shows and cartoons with not nearly as many commercials.

What is the statistical probability of:
Nothing but advertisements on 15-20 channels in a row?

"but..but..with paid cable tv there will be zero ads because subscriptions pay for it all"

And so we were promised this by Hollywood. Once upon a time.
But now we just accept it as defacto situation and give up.