Indeed technology improves communication at all levels, but at the same time it also makes people socialise face-to-face less than ever before (and no, I don't count video calls as "face-to-face", you are not physically in the same location). Messaging, chatting and calling have replaced the, in my opinion, more social and generally more enjoyable face-to-face-variant and computer games (as well as other computer usage) have taken the place of kids' outside games and other imaginative things.
It's been well documented that the previous generation would often look at the current generation and see only the bad things. How documented? Plato himself once complained about the youth and what they were doing thousands of years ago in Ancient Greek times. There was a time when TV and Rock 'n' Roll was seen as the downfall of society but guess what? We're still here. Believe it or not, but we shall be falling in the same pit when we are old, watching our kids and grandkids enjoy whatever's out there in their time and complaining about how things were better when we were their age.
Ha ha! You're right. And you know what the first sign of that is? It's the first time you catch yourself saying the phrase "kids these days...' Attached to just about any statement. And it will happen. Yeup.
It means we're both growing up. I'm twenty-five, and have caught myself complaining about the younger generation numerous times. Welcome to adulthood, Komposten.
Haha, thanks. Does adulthood include complaining about other "adults"? If so, then I'm definitely in.
Nope. Once you join the ranks (in your head) you quit complaining about them. Mind you, you can still moan about 'my parents' generation.' That covers a lot of ground.
Also, a lot depends on how you use it, that's why social media education is nowadays an actual school subject in many schools over here (it's called 'SoMe'). Personally I find it an amazing opportunity to connect with people from all over the world. I did it before, of course, but it's easier nowadays. I had penpals from the Philippines, the US, the UK, Switzerland, and Germany before social media exploded, but nowadays the way me and my old penpals cultivate our friendships has become more varied. We can share pictures and instant news, connect a bit more naturally as if we lived in the same town. It's nice. I still cherish real life social contacts too, though. They unnerve me at times, but I do want to have good social skills irl in addition to good social skills on the internet. However, I don't use e.g. FB and Twitter all that much 'cause I simply don't have enough time. My updates tend to be sporadic. But for people who are e.g. disabled or live in the middle of nowhere, internet, FB, Twitter etc. can really be blessings. Over here it's the right of every citizen to have a computer (usually laptop), internet access and a cell phone. The state actually gets all that for you if you can't afford it. That's because it'd be so difficult not to have a computer or a cell phone; many official forms regarding taxes or benefits are online, banking is online, and you are basically expected to be available at all times since you have a cell phone (like if you've agreed on an over-the-phone doctor's appointment they don't always give you a specific time window; the doctor can call anytime between 8 and 5, and without cell phones, that'd be pretty impossible), and so on.
Wow. That's great. Here in the UK you still have to buy your own. However it's scary how much 'required' stuff is online, and only online now. I discovered when I was applying for citizenship that the forms are only available if you download them. At the moment you fill them out by hand, but that's going to change. I applied to get my forms checked and documents photocopied and notarised, and that had to be done online. The Life in the UK test had to be taken on a computer, and the useful practice tests were online. You could only apply to TAKE the test online. Folks really can't afford not to be online these days. It's no longer an optional extra. Trouble is, there are parts of the country where broadband connections are either poor, sporadic, or don't even exist. So you get marginalised if you live in the wrong place, as well. And the really bad thing is, it's people who live in far-flung rural places who really need and want the internet connections to keep them in touch—and they're the ones who can't get it. Lots of problems to be solved. I guess I'm dismayed at how fast people are expected to adapt to online life—and at how many people are in danger of being sidelined because it's not available to them.
Not to mention that everyone (it seems) is making their own smartphone apps! Half of the commercials we get here says things like "read more in our app", "download our app to view all amazing deals", etc. I understand that smartphones are a big market, especially since people can have all discounts with them wherever they go, but wouldn't it be wise not to exclude the 30% or so that doesn't own a smartphone or doesn't have an "unlimited internet" subscription? As you say, more and more things are getting moved to the internet, probably because it is easier to handle, but I don't think the world is ready to be a 100% dependent on internet access. Some people lack the means to access it, some don't know how to and a lot of people probably don't want to.
What a load of crap. There is more human to human interaction than a decade ago. These devices don't replace contact, they enable contact. It's much easier to organize, or get people to join an event, or meet people, than ever. Back in my day you would have to call on a home phone and if they were not there, too bad. before phones you would have to write and then meeting people would be a rare event, and you'd probably stay for days because you saw them once a year. public holidays were actually necessary! Socials were organized so that once or twice a year you could actually meet new people. It was a really big deal to go out. It was a rare event. Now it's easy to quickly grab a burger with friends via a call or text; no matter where they are. I went to a photographer's place the other day after a quick hello online. Another friend went to someone's place he didn't know who was breaking up with his wife to have a chat and comfort him. I'll be going out every day this week. People create flash parties. People organize protests that become so big it causes riots. I see more and more people out and about in the city than I ever did before. The idea that digital technology is reducing face to face social interaction is ludicrous! As for the smart phones at table etc, hey, if you're boring them, what do you expect! Our lives are so fast paced now we need to multitask. because we are doing so much more. Not that I do that. I may check messages but I don't call or tune out.
Ooooh @jannert, I don't have the time to reply in detail, but suffice it to say you hit on the other important dangers. Who is operating behind the curtain, if you will. How dependent will we become on this resource being provided by faceless entities? How much of ourselves are we giving to them. We are creating a digital world in which to interact, but does it come with the price of more detailed and intrusive surveillance and control. I like that you mentioned the job market. That is a huge issue, and one I believe is slightly taken for granted by those of us who are less conservative about our online presence. We shouldn't have to double check our facebook pages to ensure there is nothing potentially incriminating to the eyes of employers. Home life is separate from work life and generally has little bearing on one's ability to perform. In that sense, social media is almost a form of tracking and those who require it really ought to be reported. Unless they require one specifically for work, in which case they can assign you a work related account to stay connected. Another good talking point is the accessibility of the internet. I'll admit to taking it for granted for a while. It is sucha ubiquitous feature in many places that I go, forget what it's like not having internet, wi-fi, cell service and all that. It's also easy to forget how it all goes away if yo an't afford it. I'll be at my family's new apartment in a week and I will pretty much be cut off from the internet unless I go to specific places because we can't afford service right now. (Just an fyi, I'll check out at the train station soon enough. )
Globaly, it's still 39% of world population who have "used the internet" (I know my grandma has used it twice, so she would answer "yes" in that poll) - which makes everyday contributors to internet forums a part of the world's elite
While it might be true that we need to multitask today that doesn't change the fact that we can't. While people love to believe that they can talk to two people at once or maintain a conversation while working they simply can't and the quality of both things suffer in the end. While constant checking of sms, IMs and missed calls mightn't seem bad for the one doing it (except not having any idea whatsoever of what their friends just said) the one talking will probably give up talking completely because of the lack of attention (which, btw, doesn't have to be because of a boring subject, but might as well be because of the listener's obsession with 24/7 availability).
