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Off-Topic / Anyone else annoyed at how connected our society has become? (A rant)
« on: July 21, 2013, 12:18:08 pm »Message ID: 768683
Let me start by saying I am all for technological advancements, if they are used ethically. I have an IT degree and I support technology providing us with assistance and entertainment in our lives, if it's used properly. Nowadays I think personal privacy online and increased use of techno-babble in everyday language is a major concern.
Personally, I liked using social networking sites like Facebook since 2006, but in recent years with increased use of Twitter/FB/etc, it's really just annoying and a little scary to think how connected everything is nowadays. I think personal privacy is a major concern and tons of people are very careless by advertising all of their personal info on social media.
Using FB to keep in touch with old friends was fun back in the day, but now I rarely use it since you can literally share nearly every site you visit, every picture you view, and not to mention the Sponsored Ads that get crammed down your throat and it is annoying to filter through all that garbage. I never used Twitter for that very reason, and even YouTube is just over-saturated with crap and ads these days since tons of children and a large percentage of adults own iPhones.
Actual fact: The Apple store in my town is the busiest business location as far as customer traffic is concerned. Every day at nearly every hour, that store is just packed with people. It kind of looks like a lot of mindless drones standing around looking at whatever the latest fad happens to be. I walk by it everyday and it's kind of sad really.
Probably the main thing that bothers me, is my wife and I went out to eat maybe 4 months ago. While we were eating I just happened to realize that no one around us was really talking unless it was about some techno-babble. One table had a group of 4-5 kids with their mother's (3 of them) and all 3 were just browsing Facebook and were only commenting on posts that people made or whatnot, while not paying any attention to their kids who were trying to get their attention for something. Another family behind us, father, mother, and two children were behind us. The kids were just being kids, laughing and talking, while their mother had her face buried in her iPhone talking about posts people made (and completely ignoring her 2 kids) while the father was just ignoring all 3 of them altogether unless it was to tell the kids to be quiet. The kids were trying to ask their mom something but she was too busy on her phone looking at random crap, and the dad would only say things like be quiet to their kids or mindlessly agree with his wife on some post she mumbled about. Keep in mind this restaurant is a burger joint. Not fast food, but just a typical sit-down and enjoy your burger kind of place.
It was just a really awkward experience and honestly, a little disturbing, and really made me realize how socially inept our society is becoming and how it might impact future generations. Already a lot of English professors in major colleges around the country are expressing their concern that grammatical skills are being reduced by the increased prevalence of social networking, texting, etc. in our everyday lives. This was even stated in the city where I live, which is a major college town. In fact, when I got married last year, the pastor who officiated my wedding said it was refreshing to see someone who did not communicate in "texting language" in their emails. It sort of surprised me then, but I realized what he was talking about after that restaurant experience. The last time we went out to eat with my in-laws a month ago or so, a similar experience occurred with everyone just using their phones and not partaking in any sort of conversation other than commenting on whatever they were looking at online.
After that I really started noticing people on the street just using their phones at all times while walking. I walk to and from work everyday and even in the busy downtown section of town, people are burying their faces in their phones while walking, crossing the street, etc. and do not watch where they are going and are completely oblivious to their surroundings. One person was actually clipped by a car near my work a week ago because they were jaywalking while using their phone and had no idea the car was coming, according to a few people who saw it happen. She had a very minor injury, but still it could have been avoided entirely.
I'm really just ranting, but with our judicial system using Facebook posts as evidence in a court of law as well, I really wish everybody and everything weren't as connected as they are now. Also, like all technological advancements, it will only get more prevalent. All I can say is my child will not have any iPhone or whatever until they are near graduating high school so they will actually grow up knowing how to socially interact with people and family, rather than sitting around like some mindless zombie.
Personally, I liked using social networking sites like Facebook since 2006, but in recent years with increased use of Twitter/FB/etc, it's really just annoying and a little scary to think how connected everything is nowadays. I think personal privacy is a major concern and tons of people are very careless by advertising all of their personal info on social media.
Using FB to keep in touch with old friends was fun back in the day, but now I rarely use it since you can literally share nearly every site you visit, every picture you view, and not to mention the Sponsored Ads that get crammed down your throat and it is annoying to filter through all that garbage. I never used Twitter for that very reason, and even YouTube is just over-saturated with crap and ads these days since tons of children and a large percentage of adults own iPhones.
Actual fact: The Apple store in my town is the busiest business location as far as customer traffic is concerned. Every day at nearly every hour, that store is just packed with people. It kind of looks like a lot of mindless drones standing around looking at whatever the latest fad happens to be. I walk by it everyday and it's kind of sad really.
Probably the main thing that bothers me, is my wife and I went out to eat maybe 4 months ago. While we were eating I just happened to realize that no one around us was really talking unless it was about some techno-babble. One table had a group of 4-5 kids with their mother's (3 of them) and all 3 were just browsing Facebook and were only commenting on posts that people made or whatnot, while not paying any attention to their kids who were trying to get their attention for something. Another family behind us, father, mother, and two children were behind us. The kids were just being kids, laughing and talking, while their mother had her face buried in her iPhone talking about posts people made (and completely ignoring her 2 kids) while the father was just ignoring all 3 of them altogether unless it was to tell the kids to be quiet. The kids were trying to ask their mom something but she was too busy on her phone looking at random crap, and the dad would only say things like be quiet to their kids or mindlessly agree with his wife on some post she mumbled about. Keep in mind this restaurant is a burger joint. Not fast food, but just a typical sit-down and enjoy your burger kind of place.
It was just a really awkward experience and honestly, a little disturbing, and really made me realize how socially inept our society is becoming and how it might impact future generations. Already a lot of English professors in major colleges around the country are expressing their concern that grammatical skills are being reduced by the increased prevalence of social networking, texting, etc. in our everyday lives. This was even stated in the city where I live, which is a major college town. In fact, when I got married last year, the pastor who officiated my wedding said it was refreshing to see someone who did not communicate in "texting language" in their emails. It sort of surprised me then, but I realized what he was talking about after that restaurant experience. The last time we went out to eat with my in-laws a month ago or so, a similar experience occurred with everyone just using their phones and not partaking in any sort of conversation other than commenting on whatever they were looking at online.
After that I really started noticing people on the street just using their phones at all times while walking. I walk to and from work everyday and even in the busy downtown section of town, people are burying their faces in their phones while walking, crossing the street, etc. and do not watch where they are going and are completely oblivious to their surroundings. One person was actually clipped by a car near my work a week ago because they were jaywalking while using their phone and had no idea the car was coming, according to a few people who saw it happen. She had a very minor injury, but still it could have been avoided entirely.
I'm really just ranting, but with our judicial system using Facebook posts as evidence in a court of law as well, I really wish everybody and everything weren't as connected as they are now. Also, like all technological advancements, it will only get more prevalent. All I can say is my child will not have any iPhone or whatever until they are near graduating high school so they will actually grow up knowing how to socially interact with people and family, rather than sitting around like some mindless zombie.
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