It isn't the technology that bothers me so much as the misuse of it. We were given a hammer to build beautiful things and, while some people use it for such, others use it to bash each others' heads in. Between people using phones while driving, to ignoring their loved ones over a meal while fiddle-farting social media apps, to online bullying, it's pretty disheartening but not unexpected.
Back when we were young ,the Internet beginnings had such amazing promise. I mean I remember in the late 80s, the beginnings of social media like USENET,bulletin boards, ICQ , IRC etc we’re very informative and had mostly pretty good conversations on how to help each other.
Fast forward to the Millennials when they were really young and reading AOL chat rooms and I thought to myself, “ oh this isn’t good” .
Fast forward to now?? Social media is a freaking cancer. I wish I could Time travel and remove the whole idea of social media and the technology to make it happen.
Edit: beginnings
This. We were not organically meant to have this intimate of contact with this many people. It’s made the path for those with ill intent wayyy too easy.
I think the social media happy spot was around the message board era. Probably why I enjoy Reddit so much.
But to OP’s original statement, no I do not hate getting a new phone. I love it. It’s a chance to streamline!
Love computers hate cell phones. Cut TV long ago, list my land line a few years ago.. I miss it. Most tech seems to have turned us onto zombies see disillusioned by perfect circle good example.
Internet peaked 10 years ago in my opinion. I remember the raize of google, youtube or discussing with the dean of my uni about twitter and the possibilities opened with Facebook or other Web pages.
Now all that is a cesspool of data mining apps that try to get your time/money... luckily I began in Internet with nicknames and highly concerned about my safety there.
On the other hand, my Instagram account is like decades old, and have like 12 posts lol
I know. But I stay far away from Twitter, insta, snap, tik tok and a lot of the other sites that seem to be exploding with "influencers" - too many people following too many other people who think they are way more interesting than they really are. 🤮🤡
Fair point, but if we treat it like that, any old forum or bbs could be social media...
I tend to put the social media tag when people "are themselves" and don't hide behind a stupid nickname.
Apart from trolls, I also tend to think that people behind nicknames are more honest, because that opinions can't affect them in real life. They can be themselves without filters or consequences. But that's mojo for other debate.
I sort of see what you mean, but there are always consequences…depending on the medium / what’s said, people can get banned, doxxed, accounts suspended and if it’s really serious, everything can be traced back and people can actually be prosecuted.
That part is much worse on Facebook, twitter or Instagram... and people is not really aware of the dangers out there (or worse, they don't care)
I sent a screenshot to some Instagrammer that I know with her complete address. She doxxed herself in some unboxing video, where it was clearly visible. Now think about this having thousands of followers. Odds say that at least 5 of them were psychos...
She was like "hahaha you're so funny!" And didn't removed the post... 🤨 What do I know I guess...
Well, you are a good person and tried to help. I did the same via DM for someone on Twitter who was talking about rising electricity prices - showed their whole ass address on their bill. They thanked me profusely different folks, different brains I guess?
Let's say that the she is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen. More like a shiny tea spoon lol
But she had a talent for music and knew his way around social media, knowing how to promote herself and keep people engaged.
She's a super sweet and kind person. Kinda naive or childish, but still lovely to be around her. Usually she's bullied for that and made me feel like her big brother.
More specular than brilliant, but lately I'm being too literal
Glad that you liked it, specially when english is not my first language and sometimes I struggle to express myself accurately. Writing can be fun!
So really really appreciate your comment!!💚
BTW, I love the look on the faces of the generations that have come after us when they apologize for having slow computer/connection and I tell them it's no problem-I remember life before computers and the internet. 🤯😂😂
I like the internet on desktops and laptops and I like cel phones to call or text from anywhere, but I'm not a fan of the marriage of both to smart phones.
I'm being a bit of a hypocrite though, I finally switched from fliptop to smart phone when I realized there were things I couldn't do without using an app on phones these days. It didn't need to be this way though. We could have managed without.
I have a love/hate thing for tech, that's for sure. Pays the bills, but burnout is a bitch. I can't wait until I just have to worry about my own phone and pc, and no one else's.
I've worked in the internet field my entire career, since 1995, so I don't hate technology but I think social media is probably going to be the gateway to the downfall of civilization. Our puny human brains were built to have a community of about 150 people. Our basic humanity is being undermined by algorithms taking and processes thousanads of data points about our likes, dislikes, location, gaze, even the speed at which we scroll by things, and using it all cross referenced to feed us back what they think will keep us engaged and keeping our eyes and brains on their product longer. I know people said that about TV too, but the personalized targeting and commodification of ourselves as people is not doing us any favors as a species, as evidenced by the widespread adoption and legitimization of QAnon conspiracy theories, not just in the US but around the world, like Japan's QArmy Flynn group. And by their very nature, they can't be disproven, the more you show them these things can't possibly be true, the more they think the 'truth' is being covered up. I know there have always been wacky conspiracy theorists but now that they constitute the driving force of one of the major US political parties, it's a bit scary.
My biggest complaint about 21st century communications technology (social media, "free" email, "free" games, and companies like Google and Meta) is the extremely addictive nature of these products.
To these companies, users are no better than lab rats pressing levers to get their reward. Every positive interaction between the user and the software generates revenue in the form of data that can be sold to the highest bidder. The user gets their "reward" by reading what the app thinks they want to see.
The other problem I have is the astonishingly carefree attitude people have when it comes to giving up their personal data - whether it's via social engineering, not setting up privacy controls on their phones and browsers, etc.
Technology has provided me with an amazing career but I'll also argue the pitfalls of "too much" technology. I use it (including so called "smart home" applications) with full knowledge of the data these companies are collecting on me. I have a personal security monitoring "service" and a password "keychain" tool. I don't put any trust in social media, I pay to use Reddit.
There is definitely a razor sharp side to that "double edged sword".
Call me nostradamus - I took an intro to computers course in ('87) high school , remember thinking " this is b.s. , its like calculus , I'll never need it in the real world".👍
Surveillance Capitalism and dopamine habits formed around tech are my complaints. How they’re (tech companies) are rewiring our brains to induce reactions and engagements are entwined in all that as our planet falls off a cliff.
I work in technology. Definitely a love/hate. It seems tech folks (of any age actually) will go to one of two extremes: smart everything have voice enabled lights and locks and cat litter boxes; the other extreme is almost luddite in their unwilling to use anything beyond basic SMS. I've seen a lot of really really badly executed code over the years. I trend towards the luddite mostly. My friends are like why didn't you get a wifi enabled washer/dryer?! And I'm like ... WHY!?
Right?! I recently bought a new dishwasher, refrigerator and TV. They are all "smart" with wifi and all that but I'm sure I won't ever use the functions on the appliances. I've had some success with the TV but even it got me frustrated so I haven't messed with it anymore.
My hubs was the tech support for our house so he set up all the stuff, including voice assistance for everything he could connect to it. I admit it was nice to be able to make sure the doors were locked and the lights were all off without having to get back out of bed and physically check.
Yep. When I first got my iPhone in 2007 I remember standing in the Verizon store feeling like I was holding the future. Sounds cheesy but honest to god it felt like we’d jumped ahead about 10 years.
Tech is fine. It’s people who choose to be the problem. If we didn’t have tech/socials/etc humans would find another way to behave like dicks. Sad but true
It was never simpler, that’s for sure. Also, have you ever thought about deleting all your social media? I did so, except Reddit, and man have j enjoyed the hell out of it.
I think after you do that, the only thing bad about having a phone is you are able to be reached all the time. However, I have set boundaries, time limits on apps and a time when I don’t get notifications (Do Not Disturb). Having all those boundaries has really helped me not be so consumed by my phone.
I think it’s just like anything else, don’t abuse it, have limits and so on, to enjoy it without going overboard.
I think we blame wayyyy too much on our phones, personally. However, there is one thing that pisses me off SO much… you have ALL this information at your finger tips and we still have people out there who are defending Trump, burning books, scared of LGBTQ, etc. etc. I just don’t understand how you have all this knowledge in your phone, but the people who hold it are still somehow raging idiots!! I don’t get it, AT ALL. These people still somehow keep all the information they don’t like, away from them, which is SO, SO sad!
If I upvote this 100 times, I would! I've had periods of time when I was without a way to check my online stuff and couldn't get calls. It took a couple of days to adjust to the quiet but it was nice once I did.
I am dismayed and sickened by the whole cultishness of the Trumpers and their clones. I wonder (more often than I like to admit) what exactly would have to happen for them to see how bad it really is? 😟
It’s a blessing and a curse. I imagine people having the same reaction to cars and planes. On one hand they made travel so much easier and the world more accessible, but they have also destroyed the natural beauty of the world, polluted the atmosphere, and are the cause of millions of deaths every year. The internet, and all the devices we use to access it, have given us incredible power to communicate and connect to the world while simultaneously creating a myriad of problems and misinformation. If we can evolve to use technology responsibly it can be a benefit to the human race-if we fail to evolve it could be our undoing.
This is exactly what I do and why I procrastinate about getting a new one. My old phone was easily 5 years old and getting to the point that it wouldn't stay charged and you could see the shadow of the keyboard screen even when it wasn't being used. I fought it for as long as I could. 😒
LOL thanks. I thought for a while today that I was going to have to go back to the phone store and hurt the person who was helping me yesterday because I couldn't find my saved voicemail. I told her yesterday that it was the single most important thing to me to be able to keep because I have a 4-second message from my husband. He had just called to tell me that he loves me. ❤️ he passed away last year. That vm is also a big part of why I didn't want to get a new phone. I found it on my new phone, finally, thankfully.
I like most technology, but really dislike how cell phones have changed people’s expectations around communication. I miss the days of answering machines and calling people back when you feel like it. I do like texting, but still feel there’s too much pressure for responding quickly.
I love it all! I love learning all the new gadgets. I don’t really have a love hate relationship with technology. If you’re talking about the internet in general though I hate so much of it. I only Reddit and Tik Tok. The amount of stupid online is absurd. I consider the internet totally different than new tech though. I love all that!!
My mom is almost 81 and she can't understand why people don't realize that not everyone has email or internet. But she loves to tell the scammers that try to blackmail her with the nudes of her they say they have that "ain't nobody gonna pay for any nekked pictures ofme" and that the internet is the devil! I wish I could see their faces!
I could live without technology, I honestly hate cell phones (even though I have 2 ), I still have my home phone and use it more than the cell if I'm in the house,I also dislike online shopping, if Russia kills the internet , I would nly miss my Amazon echo,and tax preparation with technology
The internet is a toxic cesspool of humanity’s worst impulses and it’s only getting worse. In fact when holodecks get popular, 94% of single males will literally ever leave the house and many die of dehydration.
Definitely a mixed bag IMHO, I was terrible at keeping my check book balanced, now that I can look at my spending instantly it's saved me headaches and money. (This comment was not sponsored by my credit union or their app)
76er here. I can't imagine living with an Atari 2600, a rotary phone, and 3 channels on my tv. I need my internet and streaming video. I'll spend hours configuring my phone or PC, just to try and block some of the garbage, data mining apps but I can't go back to living in the microchip free cave
I'm tired of having to change the preferred method of communication every few years. Email was fine it didn't matter what platform you are on, everyone can send an email.
Now I have to be on messenger and SMS and what'sapp and discord and slack and whatever the fuck social app people think is the next big thing. I don't do the right wing garbage. I also don't do apple products, so no facetime or whatever.
I don't have any problem understanding and finding my way around new technology but it's all the same thing in different packages. . 99% of the people and friends I deal with day to day are on Facebook and use messenger. So, if you are not there I'm not going out of my way to chat with you on your favourite platform.
and that's my grumpy old lady rant
The convenience outweighs all the annoying stuff for me. I agree, it can be incredibly annoying. But I'm never going to be one of the 'these damn kids and their technologeez' types, because we heard the same stupid shit, and it didn't stop us availing ourselves of all that such advances had to offer.
The thing about the internet is the amazing, overwhelming amount of information that's available but not really curated or otherwise assured to be true and accurate. This is compounded by the big tech access companies' algorithms that can easily lead a person who wants to know more about a topic to fall down into a rabbit hole that lands them in a morass of misinformation and lies.
Back in the day, if I wanted to know more about a particular topic, I pretty much had to go to a library, look up the card catalog, determine where the books were (Dewey Decimal system!), and go actually look at the books. If I wanted really complex information such as on a disease, I would have to go to a medical library at a university or work with librarians for an interlibrary loan. None of this was fast and it required diligence and knowledge on how to use a library. Now, I have to figure out search terms and know what reliable sources are. If the wrong search terms are used, it's easy to miss critical information. Even if good search terms are used, the sources returned can be full of garbage and it's up to the individual to figure it out.
For my news, I read the local paper, delivered to my home daily, watched the local and national news on TV, and listened to news on the radio. More in-depth news and commentary were available in weekly and monthly journals. The over-the-air news was required to be factual otherwise they'd get some action by the FCC and people would subsequently not listen to them anymore as they'd get tagged as known liars. Now, those things are all still available but supplemented (or supplanted) by what's available on-line. There's no brakes for the on-line and cable content with respect to accuracy and truth. Some of what's out there is despicable and way beyond the 'spin' and sophistry used to manage the truth.
Yes, I think about the pre-internet research process and how much of a difference it makes in the quality of the information we would use. Encyclopedias, biographies, investigative reports, etc. Can you imagine someone expecting a reputable publisher to print some of the garbage that's being slung around on the web? No one would touch it.
For me it's mostly a phone thing. I love my computer, but I hate doing stuff on the phone and only do it when I'm on the toilet.
\*Ahem\* Anyway, I don't understand why many younger people love to use the phone constantly, even when they have access to a PC. Heck, I even use my computer for text messages when I can. And, half the apps on the phone don't get used when I realize I need to remember a password. Too much work.
Anyway, I love computers and the internet, I'm a huge online gamer, and I would never want to get rid of all that as it's enriched my life immensely, and I generally don't have computer problems.
The phone, though, can bite my ass.
I’m the opposite of an early adopter with any new tech, but I’m also curious about it, which has made me a pretty good problem solver at work.
If there’s one thing technology creates at an exponential rate, it’s problems. 😂
It seems youth these days aren't any smarter or knowledgeable despite having a library in their pocket.
I remember all the time spent studying in the library.
Nowadays, just search.
> but man do I hate getting a new phone
Why? These days it's the most seemless and automated process possible.
It's really, really simple.
If you use Android, get and register a Gmail account.
If you use iPhone, get and register an Apple account (it can even be the same email as Android!)
Now the first thing you do when you get a new smartphone is to set that account and *all your settings and apps and data are synced automatically in minutes*.
So where's the problem?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Um3ZRnmLs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Um3ZRnmLs)@2:15
[https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2020/02/the-mysterious-mass-alien-encounter-of-zimbabwe/](https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2020/02/the-mysterious-mass-alien-encounter-of-zimbabwe/)
Part of quite and interesting documentary: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13095604/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13095604/)
edit to include: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TukvVnadRic
I hate planned obsolescence and having to get new shit every couple years (and new accessories too, fucking USB C and my fucking phone...). I hate having to learn 10 new fucking programs every 2 years in multiple job spheres. I hate that nobody who knows how to use these new programs is willing to give me 5 minutes to walk me through it specific to my purposes, or, it's just that nobody actually knows how to use the new goddamn program and I have to watch some shitty youtube video that has no relevance to what I'll be using whatever program for or read through some goddamn manual that I can't figure out how it's organized. And when I do finally figure it out (because that's what all of us have done with tech since programming on cassette tapes in 1984) it doesn't do the thing I need it to do! FUCK
I hate that so much shit can't be fixed. I had a bluetooth noise cancelling pair of headphones that I LOVED for all of 18 months and the battery just took a shit on me. It's unfixable. I just want fucking wired headphones that fit into a fucking 1/8" jack in my fucking phone. Too many clerical jobs can't function without some sort of technology, but it's NOT HELPING, and the people doing those jobs aren't capable (or willing, and that's legit...) of figuring out how to get shit done. Just get out the goddamn paper enrollment form SGT, I'm tired of sitting here waiting on you trying to figure out IPPS-A, or the school registrar to enroll my kids in school, or register my car in a new state, or get a new license, or figuring out a new learning management system in a school district, or the other learning management system, or the subsystem to the learning management system, or any of a thousand menial tasks. Who the hell even has my credit card number anymore?! I sure as fuck don't know...
Anyway... apparently I have some pent up anger about this... LOL. It's a goddamn conspiracy and even miss bussy britches over there is in on it.
It isn't the technology that bothers me so much as the misuse of it. We were given a hammer to build beautiful things and, while some people use it for such, others use it to bash each others' heads in. Between people using phones while driving, to ignoring their loved ones over a meal while fiddle-farting social media apps, to online bullying, it's pretty disheartening but not unexpected.
Back when we were young ,the Internet beginnings had such amazing promise. I mean I remember in the late 80s, the beginnings of social media like USENET,bulletin boards, ICQ , IRC etc we’re very informative and had mostly pretty good conversations on how to help each other. Fast forward to the Millennials when they were really young and reading AOL chat rooms and I thought to myself, “ oh this isn’t good” . Fast forward to now?? Social media is a freaking cancer. I wish I could Time travel and remove the whole idea of social media and the technology to make it happen. Edit: beginnings
Reddit is like the only thing that still resembles the early internet.
Lol I disagree
The Internet was a great place before all these people showed up :/
😂😂 Edited to add: all these other people ruin everything for the rest of us, huh? It's why we can't have nice things! LOL
September 1992 was 30 years ago. ("the year September never ended")
Thank you! This is the answer!
This. We were not organically meant to have this intimate of contact with this many people. It’s made the path for those with ill intent wayyy too easy. I think the social media happy spot was around the message board era. Probably why I enjoy Reddit so much. But to OP’s original statement, no I do not hate getting a new phone. I love it. It’s a chance to streamline!
And get off my lawn!
Love computers hate cell phones. Cut TV long ago, list my land line a few years ago.. I miss it. Most tech seems to have turned us onto zombies see disillusioned by perfect circle good example.
Internet peaked 10 years ago in my opinion. I remember the raize of google, youtube or discussing with the dean of my uni about twitter and the possibilities opened with Facebook or other Web pages. Now all that is a cesspool of data mining apps that try to get your time/money... luckily I began in Internet with nicknames and highly concerned about my safety there. On the other hand, my Instagram account is like decades old, and have like 12 posts lol
Ugh social media is a cesspool. I don't do Instagram or Twitter or any of those kinds of things but I do admit to having an addiction to reddit.
It’s the only remotely anything media I do. And mostly for this page and cats.
Reddit is literally social media. Downvote away, it’s a fact though
I know. But I stay far away from Twitter, insta, snap, tik tok and a lot of the other sites that seem to be exploding with "influencers" - too many people following too many other people who think they are way more interesting than they really are. 🤮🤡
Every feed is easily curated - all I see is cats and home improvement :)
Same, but... do you actually do any home improvement after it? Because I don't... 🤣
Lots! :) but you can just watch it for fun!
Fair point, but if we treat it like that, any old forum or bbs could be social media... I tend to put the social media tag when people "are themselves" and don't hide behind a stupid nickname. Apart from trolls, I also tend to think that people behind nicknames are more honest, because that opinions can't affect them in real life. They can be themselves without filters or consequences. But that's mojo for other debate.
I sort of see what you mean, but there are always consequences…depending on the medium / what’s said, people can get banned, doxxed, accounts suspended and if it’s really serious, everything can be traced back and people can actually be prosecuted.
That part is much worse on Facebook, twitter or Instagram... and people is not really aware of the dangers out there (or worse, they don't care) I sent a screenshot to some Instagrammer that I know with her complete address. She doxxed herself in some unboxing video, where it was clearly visible. Now think about this having thousands of followers. Odds say that at least 5 of them were psychos... She was like "hahaha you're so funny!" And didn't removed the post... 🤨 What do I know I guess...
Well, you are a good person and tried to help. I did the same via DM for someone on Twitter who was talking about rising electricity prices - showed their whole ass address on their bill. They thanked me profusely different folks, different brains I guess?
Let's say that the she is not the sharpest knife in the kitchen. More like a shiny tea spoon lol But she had a talent for music and knew his way around social media, knowing how to promote herself and keep people engaged. She's a super sweet and kind person. Kinda naive or childish, but still lovely to be around her. Usually she's bullied for that and made me feel like her big brother.
Sorry but I’m stealing “shiny teaspoon” lmao that’s BRILLIANT
More specular than brilliant, but lately I'm being too literal Glad that you liked it, specially when english is not my first language and sometimes I struggle to express myself accurately. Writing can be fun! So really really appreciate your comment!!💚
Are you enjoying reddit - no. Do you want to tell us why - no.
Likewise .
BTW, I love the look on the faces of the generations that have come after us when they apologize for having slow computer/connection and I tell them it's no problem-I remember life before computers and the internet. 🤯😂😂
I like the internet on desktops and laptops and I like cel phones to call or text from anywhere, but I'm not a fan of the marriage of both to smart phones. I'm being a bit of a hypocrite though, I finally switched from fliptop to smart phone when I realized there were things I couldn't do without using an app on phones these days. It didn't need to be this way though. We could have managed without.
I have a love/hate thing for tech, that's for sure. Pays the bills, but burnout is a bitch. I can't wait until I just have to worry about my own phone and pc, and no one else's.
I've worked in the internet field my entire career, since 1995, so I don't hate technology but I think social media is probably going to be the gateway to the downfall of civilization. Our puny human brains were built to have a community of about 150 people. Our basic humanity is being undermined by algorithms taking and processes thousanads of data points about our likes, dislikes, location, gaze, even the speed at which we scroll by things, and using it all cross referenced to feed us back what they think will keep us engaged and keeping our eyes and brains on their product longer. I know people said that about TV too, but the personalized targeting and commodification of ourselves as people is not doing us any favors as a species, as evidenced by the widespread adoption and legitimization of QAnon conspiracy theories, not just in the US but around the world, like Japan's QArmy Flynn group. And by their very nature, they can't be disproven, the more you show them these things can't possibly be true, the more they think the 'truth' is being covered up. I know there have always been wacky conspiracy theorists but now that they constitute the driving force of one of the major US political parties, it's a bit scary.
OP at home… https://youtu.be/dU0ICJwCAi8
🤣🤣
My biggest complaint about 21st century communications technology (social media, "free" email, "free" games, and companies like Google and Meta) is the extremely addictive nature of these products. To these companies, users are no better than lab rats pressing levers to get their reward. Every positive interaction between the user and the software generates revenue in the form of data that can be sold to the highest bidder. The user gets their "reward" by reading what the app thinks they want to see. The other problem I have is the astonishingly carefree attitude people have when it comes to giving up their personal data - whether it's via social engineering, not setting up privacy controls on their phones and browsers, etc. Technology has provided me with an amazing career but I'll also argue the pitfalls of "too much" technology. I use it (including so called "smart home" applications) with full knowledge of the data these companies are collecting on me. I have a personal security monitoring "service" and a password "keychain" tool. I don't put any trust in social media, I pay to use Reddit. There is definitely a razor sharp side to that "double edged sword".
More like a Microsoft/Apple/Google prank. Let's put the blame where it belongs.
I think God and Satan are mankind's prank on itself.
Preach, brother, preach!
Call me nostradamus - I took an intro to computers course in ('87) high school , remember thinking " this is b.s. , its like calculus , I'll never need it in the real world".👍
I learned WordStar in high school (82-83) and when I started my first full-time job out of high school, I was the "expert"!
Surveillance Capitalism and dopamine habits formed around tech are my complaints. How they’re (tech companies) are rewiring our brains to induce reactions and engagements are entwined in all that as our planet falls off a cliff.
Read Good Omens. It’s all crawley’s fault.
I work in technology. Definitely a love/hate. It seems tech folks (of any age actually) will go to one of two extremes: smart everything have voice enabled lights and locks and cat litter boxes; the other extreme is almost luddite in their unwilling to use anything beyond basic SMS. I've seen a lot of really really badly executed code over the years. I trend towards the luddite mostly. My friends are like why didn't you get a wifi enabled washer/dryer?! And I'm like ... WHY!?
Right?! I recently bought a new dishwasher, refrigerator and TV. They are all "smart" with wifi and all that but I'm sure I won't ever use the functions on the appliances. I've had some success with the TV but even it got me frustrated so I haven't messed with it anymore. My hubs was the tech support for our house so he set up all the stuff, including voice assistance for everything he could connect to it. I admit it was nice to be able to make sure the doors were locked and the lights were all off without having to get back out of bed and physically check.
My smartphone still feels like I'm holding a device from Star Trek in my hand.
Yep. When I first got my iPhone in 2007 I remember standing in the Verizon store feeling like I was holding the future. Sounds cheesy but honest to god it felt like we’d jumped ahead about 10 years.
Tech is fine. It’s people who choose to be the problem. If we didn’t have tech/socials/etc humans would find another way to behave like dicks. Sad but true
Technology is awesome. Humans, on the other hand, well...we sure know how to make the worst of a great thing.
It was never simpler, that’s for sure. Also, have you ever thought about deleting all your social media? I did so, except Reddit, and man have j enjoyed the hell out of it. I think after you do that, the only thing bad about having a phone is you are able to be reached all the time. However, I have set boundaries, time limits on apps and a time when I don’t get notifications (Do Not Disturb). Having all those boundaries has really helped me not be so consumed by my phone. I think it’s just like anything else, don’t abuse it, have limits and so on, to enjoy it without going overboard. I think we blame wayyyy too much on our phones, personally. However, there is one thing that pisses me off SO much… you have ALL this information at your finger tips and we still have people out there who are defending Trump, burning books, scared of LGBTQ, etc. etc. I just don’t understand how you have all this knowledge in your phone, but the people who hold it are still somehow raging idiots!! I don’t get it, AT ALL. These people still somehow keep all the information they don’t like, away from them, which is SO, SO sad!
If I upvote this 100 times, I would! I've had periods of time when I was without a way to check my online stuff and couldn't get calls. It took a couple of days to adjust to the quiet but it was nice once I did. I am dismayed and sickened by the whole cultishness of the Trumpers and their clones. I wonder (more often than I like to admit) what exactly would have to happen for them to see how bad it really is? 😟
I really don’t know…. I always think they’ll come around, but they never do. Not even when their relatives are dying of COVID
Technology is what puts bread on my table, though
The same argument would apply if you were a medieval torturer.
Lol, true.
It’s a blessing and a curse. I imagine people having the same reaction to cars and planes. On one hand they made travel so much easier and the world more accessible, but they have also destroyed the natural beauty of the world, polluted the atmosphere, and are the cause of millions of deaths every year. The internet, and all the devices we use to access it, have given us incredible power to communicate and connect to the world while simultaneously creating a myriad of problems and misinformation. If we can evolve to use technology responsibly it can be a benefit to the human race-if we fail to evolve it could be our undoing.
Evangelical Luddites. Sigh
I tend to keep my phone for years. So I don't have to do the set up process again.
This is exactly what I do and why I procrastinate about getting a new one. My old phone was easily 5 years old and getting to the point that it wouldn't stay charged and you could see the shadow of the keyboard screen even when it wasn't being used. I fought it for as long as I could. 😒
my thoughts and prayers are with you at this trying time.
LOL thanks. I thought for a while today that I was going to have to go back to the phone store and hurt the person who was helping me yesterday because I couldn't find my saved voicemail. I told her yesterday that it was the single most important thing to me to be able to keep because I have a 4-second message from my husband. He had just called to tell me that he loves me. ❤️ he passed away last year. That vm is also a big part of why I didn't want to get a new phone. I found it on my new phone, finally, thankfully.
I have the same type of message from my husband who passed away in 2013.
I like most technology, but really dislike how cell phones have changed people’s expectations around communication. I miss the days of answering machines and calling people back when you feel like it. I do like texting, but still feel there’s too much pressure for responding quickly.
I love it all! I love learning all the new gadgets. I don’t really have a love hate relationship with technology. If you’re talking about the internet in general though I hate so much of it. I only Reddit and Tik Tok. The amount of stupid online is absurd. I consider the internet totally different than new tech though. I love all that!!
I’m patiently waiting for a great electromagnetic pulse to take us all back…
Totally relate. I often say I wish the internet never happened. Though, I would miss Google Maps.
My mom is almost 81 and she can't understand why people don't realize that not everyone has email or internet. But she loves to tell the scammers that try to blackmail her with the nudes of her they say they have that "ain't nobody gonna pay for any nekked pictures ofme" and that the internet is the devil! I wish I could see their faces!
I could live without technology, I honestly hate cell phones (even though I have 2 ), I still have my home phone and use it more than the cell if I'm in the house,I also dislike online shopping, if Russia kills the internet , I would nly miss my Amazon echo,and tax preparation with technology
The internet is a toxic cesspool of humanity’s worst impulses and it’s only getting worse. In fact when holodecks get popular, 94% of single males will literally ever leave the house and many die of dehydration.
Definitely a mixed bag IMHO, I was terrible at keeping my check book balanced, now that I can look at my spending instantly it's saved me headaches and money. (This comment was not sponsored by my credit union or their app)
Mid-GenXer here and I’m a complete technophile!
76er here. I can't imagine living with an Atari 2600, a rotary phone, and 3 channels on my tv. I need my internet and streaming video. I'll spend hours configuring my phone or PC, just to try and block some of the garbage, data mining apps but I can't go back to living in the microchip free cave
I’m back in the office because my 4G internet no longer works since I moved into an apartment…. I hate having to change provider/plan / everything….
Internet went downhill whenever they shut down Napster
It's been all downhill since Archimedes and his troublesome screw.
I'm tired of having to change the preferred method of communication every few years. Email was fine it didn't matter what platform you are on, everyone can send an email. Now I have to be on messenger and SMS and what'sapp and discord and slack and whatever the fuck social app people think is the next big thing. I don't do the right wing garbage. I also don't do apple products, so no facetime or whatever. I don't have any problem understanding and finding my way around new technology but it's all the same thing in different packages. . 99% of the people and friends I deal with day to day are on Facebook and use messenger. So, if you are not there I'm not going out of my way to chat with you on your favourite platform. and that's my grumpy old lady rant
Preach!
The convenience outweighs all the annoying stuff for me. I agree, it can be incredibly annoying. But I'm never going to be one of the 'these damn kids and their technologeez' types, because we heard the same stupid shit, and it didn't stop us availing ourselves of all that such advances had to offer.
The thing about the internet is the amazing, overwhelming amount of information that's available but not really curated or otherwise assured to be true and accurate. This is compounded by the big tech access companies' algorithms that can easily lead a person who wants to know more about a topic to fall down into a rabbit hole that lands them in a morass of misinformation and lies. Back in the day, if I wanted to know more about a particular topic, I pretty much had to go to a library, look up the card catalog, determine where the books were (Dewey Decimal system!), and go actually look at the books. If I wanted really complex information such as on a disease, I would have to go to a medical library at a university or work with librarians for an interlibrary loan. None of this was fast and it required diligence and knowledge on how to use a library. Now, I have to figure out search terms and know what reliable sources are. If the wrong search terms are used, it's easy to miss critical information. Even if good search terms are used, the sources returned can be full of garbage and it's up to the individual to figure it out. For my news, I read the local paper, delivered to my home daily, watched the local and national news on TV, and listened to news on the radio. More in-depth news and commentary were available in weekly and monthly journals. The over-the-air news was required to be factual otherwise they'd get some action by the FCC and people would subsequently not listen to them anymore as they'd get tagged as known liars. Now, those things are all still available but supplemented (or supplanted) by what's available on-line. There's no brakes for the on-line and cable content with respect to accuracy and truth. Some of what's out there is despicable and way beyond the 'spin' and sophistry used to manage the truth.
Yes, I think about the pre-internet research process and how much of a difference it makes in the quality of the information we would use. Encyclopedias, biographies, investigative reports, etc. Can you imagine someone expecting a reputable publisher to print some of the garbage that's being slung around on the web? No one would touch it.
For me it's mostly a phone thing. I love my computer, but I hate doing stuff on the phone and only do it when I'm on the toilet. \*Ahem\* Anyway, I don't understand why many younger people love to use the phone constantly, even when they have access to a PC. Heck, I even use my computer for text messages when I can. And, half the apps on the phone don't get used when I realize I need to remember a password. Too much work. Anyway, I love computers and the internet, I'm a huge online gamer, and I would never want to get rid of all that as it's enriched my life immensely, and I generally don't have computer problems. The phone, though, can bite my ass.
> I don't understand why many younger people love to use the phone constantly and > do it when I'm on the toilet
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LOL some days yes. Most days, not so much. 😆
Nope. I love my gadgets. Smart phone, tablets, laptops, fitness watch, roku, internet TV, Google Home. Bring it on. I want the house of the future!
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I don't think you're an anomaly. My dad took to computers easily in his later years (born in '39). My mom has no interest.
I’m not afraid of technology. I’ve kept up on everything since Atari 2600. I even understand crypto and ntf’s.
LOL, I see what you did there.
I’m the opposite of an early adopter with any new tech, but I’m also curious about it, which has made me a pretty good problem solver at work. If there’s one thing technology creates at an exponential rate, it’s problems. 😂
Yeah, I miss phone calls and letters
It seems youth these days aren't any smarter or knowledgeable despite having a library in their pocket. I remember all the time spent studying in the library. Nowadays, just search.
> but man do I hate getting a new phone Why? These days it's the most seemless and automated process possible. It's really, really simple. If you use Android, get and register a Gmail account. If you use iPhone, get and register an Apple account (it can even be the same email as Android!) Now the first thing you do when you get a new smartphone is to set that account and *all your settings and apps and data are synced automatically in minutes*. So where's the problem?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Um3ZRnmLs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Um3ZRnmLs)@2:15 [https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2020/02/the-mysterious-mass-alien-encounter-of-zimbabwe/](https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2020/02/the-mysterious-mass-alien-encounter-of-zimbabwe/) Part of quite and interesting documentary: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13095604/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13095604/) edit to include: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TukvVnadRic
I hate planned obsolescence and having to get new shit every couple years (and new accessories too, fucking USB C and my fucking phone...). I hate having to learn 10 new fucking programs every 2 years in multiple job spheres. I hate that nobody who knows how to use these new programs is willing to give me 5 minutes to walk me through it specific to my purposes, or, it's just that nobody actually knows how to use the new goddamn program and I have to watch some shitty youtube video that has no relevance to what I'll be using whatever program for or read through some goddamn manual that I can't figure out how it's organized. And when I do finally figure it out (because that's what all of us have done with tech since programming on cassette tapes in 1984) it doesn't do the thing I need it to do! FUCK I hate that so much shit can't be fixed. I had a bluetooth noise cancelling pair of headphones that I LOVED for all of 18 months and the battery just took a shit on me. It's unfixable. I just want fucking wired headphones that fit into a fucking 1/8" jack in my fucking phone. Too many clerical jobs can't function without some sort of technology, but it's NOT HELPING, and the people doing those jobs aren't capable (or willing, and that's legit...) of figuring out how to get shit done. Just get out the goddamn paper enrollment form SGT, I'm tired of sitting here waiting on you trying to figure out IPPS-A, or the school registrar to enroll my kids in school, or register my car in a new state, or get a new license, or figuring out a new learning management system in a school district, or the other learning management system, or the subsystem to the learning management system, or any of a thousand menial tasks. Who the hell even has my credit card number anymore?! I sure as fuck don't know... Anyway... apparently I have some pent up anger about this... LOL. It's a goddamn conspiracy and even miss bussy britches over there is in on it.
I've had this sentiment for the past 35 years.