What's happened?

[Liquid Blue]

In this technological age, I don't know if it's the constant peppering of horror stories on the news, or seeing general angst on the internet- but what's happened with us all?

Why are so many people so bitter, why are so many people so lonely, so violent, so distant from their families? What do you think are some major reasons for these things, and why? If you disagree with me, please back that up also.

[BleakFuture]

I dont think people are exaclty distant, well not everyone. I have a great relationship with my family, while my sisters don't all enjoy each other's company oh-so-much, they tolerate each other alot.
Some of my friends tend to say things like "i hate going home", mostly because their mom/dad tend to be strict with them or something. I know everyone isn't going to have the best life growing up, I mean some kids can have a really shitty time, and turn out great. With me, once I learned to help my parents when they asked, do what they want (most of the time) it ends up that we get along great. My roomate however goes out of his way to do the opposite that his mom wants him to, and she puts up with it, even buys him groceries, and lends him money when he needs it. (my parents do, but not as often)

I really dont know how some people come to go and hurt other people and worse, but I think its got alot to do with how they grew up. Sometimes its something small that starts it off, othertimes its something more violent, but I'm sure if you looked back far enough and with a fine enough microscope on someone's life, you could figure out how they came to be on the path they are on now. I dunno, thats just my opinion

[SpiderMage]

In this technological age, I don't know if it's the constant peppering of horror stories on the news, or seeing general angst on the internet- but what's happened with us all?

Why are so many people so bitter, why are so many people so lonely, so violent, so distant from their families? What do you think are some major reasons for these things, and why? If you disagree with me, please back that up also.

I think it's the degredation of society over time, it's been happening for a long time but is becoming far more wide scale than ever. Contribute it to bad things that happen, say raped, beat, etc by parents, or that a lot of the families around the world aren't anywhere near as close knit as they were like 50 years ago. People go online, tell their parents to fuck off so they can go get drunk or high, and they just don't care and think their parents don't care, which is sometimes true, but a lot of the times it's the parents just don't know what to do.

I think the world is just going to get worse and worse, I mean if the online world is any reflection, we have some serious trouble ahead. Could you possibly imagine, I know it happens in real life but what if people went around like slashing throats or shooting people as much as they threaten to online.

Here's my question, not to deviate from the main topic of the thread, but why on God's green Earth, are humans, the most advanced and intelligent species on this planet, the ONLY species that hates itself and kills itself for no good reason at all?

[Theif of Time]

"We are fools to make war on our brothers in arms"

We do it, but we're all the more foolish for it.

I've tryed to hurt people (emotionally) and it worked, but its really no help. Just made me feel bad/worse.

[Tone]

www.empathogens.com

[Saturn V]

I think of the movie Contact whenever this type of topic comes up. One of the characters, Palmer Joss, says, "Is the world fundamentally a better place because of science and technology? We shop at home, we surf the Web... at the same time, we feel emptier, lonelier and more cut off from each other than at any other time in human history..."

I guess an e-mail or an IM just doesn't have any feeling behind it, or at least it doesn't seem to.

[PH]

www.empathogens.com

Why does the picture on this web site depict a dude copping a feel? That's the second post you've made in the last two days that contains pornographic material.f

[Tone]

I think of the movie Contact whenever this type of topic comes up. One of the characters, Palmer Joss, says, "Is the world fundamentally a better place because of science and technology? We shop at home, we surf the Web... at the same time, we feel emptier, lonelier and more cut off from each other than at any other time in human history..."

I guess an e-mail or an IM just doesn't have any feeling behind it, or at least it doesn't seem to.

my favorite movie

[Pressure Drop]

i don't see alot of point in the thread?


its always been like that.

it probably will always be like that.

Not everone has a great family you know.


Are you trying to say that modern technology has made us bitter,lonely, violent and distant from our families? Surely you need to give some evidence first and not us back up a way to disprove it???

[Ashlee]

Of course technology has changed us. Take a look at the life of an average teenager, then take a look at how the life of an average teenager was a few decades ago. Hard-working, not a lot of things for entertainment except just taking walks, playing with hand-made games, siblings, and you didn't have much social interaction besides immediate family members and church-goers.

But I mean, things change with time. It isn't just technology, although that obviously has effected us all, it's just time. Oh, and teenage horomones, whoo

[Subjugation]

I definitely think technology has influenced this feeling of cynicism, because, two of the ways humans learn is through storytelling, and by observation. The Internet, 24 hour cable news, and international journalism has really made the world a much smaller place. All forms of media influence our culture. Some of us grow cynical or fearful by observing negative stories.

And it makes complete sense on an evolutionary level---natural selection favors those who are smart enough to avoid danger by observing the mistakes of others.





To answer your question on a personal level, I am incredibly cynical because I have a certain level of pride, so I don't like to be tricked. I have been tricked three different ways before (ex-girlfriend, a con artist, and being falsely sued by a gold-digging whore), and it disturbed me emotionally on a pretty profound level, and I became quite depressed for about 2 years.

Basically, my emotional survival depended on not being tricked like that again, so I have used cynicism and critical thinking as a strategy. I don't think I am alone there.

[Kolar]

I don't think technology has changed us a lot. Sure when I was a kid, Cops and I were outside playing hockey or building snow forts. Today kids are inside on their computers or watching TV. I wouldn't give up those memories for anything and I feel bad knowing that kids won't have them, all they'll have is some stupid game they'll get bored of or addicted to.


Online comunication is different because of anonymity, I think that aspect of the internet has brought out more negitive feelings and emotions from people but it hasn't changed them permanently and it isn't truely who they are. It's more of a double life to me. I'm sure with enough time it will start to sink in but I think for now its effects are more on the surface, it has removed the people from acountablility from their actions and removed them from the social norms they have to align to for a short while.

[DoTheFandango]

[Theif of Time]

Online comunication is different because of anonymity, I think that aspect of the internet has brought out more negitive feelings and emotions from people but it hasn't changed them permanently and it isn't truely who they are. It's more of a double life to me. I'm sure with enough time it will start to sink in but I think for now its effects are more on the surface, it has removed the people from acountablility from their actions and removed them from the social norms they have to align to for a short while.

But then again is it easier for people to show their feelings online easier than IRL, also because of the anonymity.
But yes, it hardly ever is truly who people are. Usually they're just unwinding or being assholes for fun.

[PaulOakenfold]

It's just the western world, we're bound to crash eventually because of our consumer/selfish attitude. Let's all become Buddhist and find eternal peace and happiness.