The Computer and New Technoogy is DESTROYING Our Society

reply to post by Zarniwoop


Yeah.
Yawn.
This thread belongs in the rant section. As I said, you can't fight progress. To bitch about how you "don't like it" only makes ya look like a stubborn old fart.
My grandmother is in her final few years on this Earth. She is the coolest person I know and I love her as much as I love my own children. Of course, she doesn't text and barely understands email. So when I am hanging out with her I spend a good amount of time showing her the new tech.

Why?

Because when it is all said and done, and after she reflects on the lives of the loved ones she is leaving behind, she is gonna look at how far WE have progressed, as a society, during her life. She has been around since the 1920's! That is INCREDIBLE! She has seen SO much progress!

At the end of the day though, whether you embrace it or not, progress happens.
Best adapt.
Cuz I promise you, in the end, you WILL reflect on it.

Are you not using Internet and a computer to let people you would never meet otherwise know how much you hate computers and technology

Originally posted by Ligriv
Are you not using Internet and a computer to let people you would never meet otherwise know how much you hate computers and technology

That is a bit unfair.

I too see "technology" as being detrimental to society and dehumanizing us to a degree... That doesnt mean I also do not advantages in using it- Its a tool, like a firearm, a fork or a wheel- Its not the tech itself, but the way its being used.

Prime example. We have the Libraries of the WORLD at our fingertips- The collective knowledge of mankind...And yet I think most people are less informed these days because most would rather text or facebook about LOLcats or whatever entertainer is the FOTM than to actually do anything to expand their knowledge.

Its not the tool (i.e. the tech) that is "bad" or "wrong"- It is that it is being marketed 9like most things) to the lowest common denominator. I, myself am guilty of getting "caught up" in the distraction and dehumanizing myself as well- Sometimes we forget that there is a person on the other end of the screen if that makes any sense and my internet persona is far more 'rude' than I am IRL.

IDK, but I see what the OP is saying and agree for the most part.

reply to post by bluestar.ranch

I cant reach people any more!!!! .. the more communications the HARDER it is to talk to someone!

That's funny, ironic, and true in some ways

I have email, Facebook, and a cell phone that I regularly use, yet I have friends that will tell me 'wasn't sure how to contact you'. Or I will leave a voice mail on a friends cell phone needing an actual conversation, and instead get a response on Facebook. Gah!

I still prefer what we have now over stupid landlines with cords.... hearing someone yell at me "hang up the phone I'm using it!" or the sound of a dial-up modem screaming in my ear because a roommate is using the Internet. No thanks. I'd rather deal with lame Facebook wall posts and friends preferring 'texting' over that archaic crap.

Originally posted by GoldenOne23
reply to post by bluestar.ranch

 

Amen to that! I wish the only technology would be medical. Facebook is a drama filled outlet where people worry took much about everyone elses life instead of living their own, twitter is just downright ridiculous, tv has popularized sex, gays, and transgender.
It's about enough to drive me mad. If we could rewind back to the 60s, if only.

and yet here you are sitting in front of a computer and clacking away on a keyboard speaking of the horrors of the very technology you are using
so when its guns the argument is its just a tool capable of being misused.... and when its electronics..... the technology is at fault?

and what were your parents opinions? would have liked to "rewind back to the" 40s?
might the cause of these feelings more relate to your fond memories of the past (whether they are accurate or not) than what is going on presently?

While we are twittering to the twits, the 2nd and 3rd world populations will be sowing and growing, building and teaching, cleaning and cooking, buying and selling, ALLLLL the things that can also be done with modern technology. But in doing these things themselves, they remain human and alive. We’re so busy being busy with technology, what exactly are we becoming while technology is replacing almost every aspect of our lives?

Pharmacists, store clerks, astronauts, drivers, lawyers & paralegals, soldiers, baby sitters, rescuers, sports writers and reporters…..all done with modern technology. Your job may be next.

Nine jobs that humans may lose to robots
www.nbcnews.com...

Soooo, what did you do all day?

nutten much, played Halo, microwaved some mac-n-cheeze, played solitare, tweeted a bit, played a killer game of solitaire, watched discovery channel, IM'd some friends and paid the dish bill.

That's the life we and our offspring are headed for....oh wait....

Originally posted by bitsforbytes

If technology is so great then:

why are the blood labs in hospitals getting bigger and requiring more testing to be done for simple things like calcium deficiency or vitamin D deficiency which was not a problem not so long ago?
Um, what do you mean simple things? Those two things are usually only present because of some other major problem. They test for a whole range of problems, because so many conditions share overlapping sympomology. Your question would seem to be inquisitive to the untrained eye, but to people who know, that question is very ignorant. And technology has made it easy to run a multitude of tests at the same time. Making diagnosing diseases much easier
Why are people sicker than they were 50-60 years ago in the land of the free?
Because we didn't perform Eugenics. We allowed unfit people to breed like rabbits. We did the right thing, but we have to deal with the consequencees. Genetically poor people proliferated, mostly due to our advancements in medicine that kept them alive. It's a sad fact that no one will discuss.
Why do people need energy drinks to function at age 14-15 years old?
Um they don't need them to function, they take them for fun.

Why is it that 1 in 7 people are still starving in the world?
Because, like guns, technology only fulfills it's purpose in the hands of a human. Technology is only capable of what we use it for. Techology has greatly surpassed our morality. No one, save a few like me, are demanding we work on feeding everyone. In fact, half the country(cough republicans cough) is outraged that we even feed our own hungry people.

Will technology help humans achieve great spiritual heights where money is no longer needed to function in society?
Same as above. Humans have to change first. It's possible, but it's on us. We can't blame technology because humans didn't do anything.

Interesting, i've always noticed it's harder for the older generation to understand/comprehend the new technology around. But never thought about it much.

I guess it really just is because we grew up with it, so it's a lot easier to deal with for us. But if you think about it imagine trying to teach this generation how to use 'Morse code', we would just be like .... wtf i'd rather ride my bike over there and say it face to face..... Same way you guys feel about texting/emails etc.

"The computer and the internet are destroying society!" - posted on the internet, from a computer

lol the irony

hi
Before telephones, there was hand-delivered mail.
You had to wait months, or weeks between exchanges with people over distances of even just a hundred miles or so.
Trans-continental and International communication? Good luck.
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reply to post by bluestar.ranch


You young whippersnappers today are spoiled from modern technology.... Why, in *MY* day...

Briefly I am a "old retired worker" from several generations ago.....a long time before all the technology. I even remember "door to door sales" (today you would be arrested as a terrorist!!!!!! for carrying a briefcase.. (It might be a bomb!)

We used to have to engage in year long trade caravans to far off lands to gather exotic asian spices, herbs, and silks to return to our land with (another year long trip) to sell.

Door to door?

You are spoiled!

I remember when you had to pick up the telephone to make a call to someone.. AND A PERSON ANSWERED, If they did not answer, you called again later.

A Tele-What?

If we wanted to contact someone, we had to contract a messenger to travel over dozens of leagues across dangerous terrain!

Sometimes, you never got a response because the messenger DIED!

Seriously... you is spoiled.

Today, If I call someone and the "voicemail" does not work, the girl picks up the phone and says, "Sorry The voice mail not working you can't leave a message for John Doe"

I explain to the girl that if she got a pencil and paper she can WRITE MY NAME AND PHONE NUMBER AND HAND THE MESSAGE TO HIM" She is impressed!

Voice-wha?

You mean where you travel by boat to reach distant shores, and stay for months at a time with the person you wanted to deliver the message to, while you wait for the Dangerous winter ocean swells to subside, lest you be torn from your ship, and buried with the likes of davy jones?

Yes... "Voice" mail... Spoiled.

I cant reach people any more!!!! .. the more communications the HARDER it is to talk to someone!

Facebook, Email, Twitters, I Phones, I Pads, Computers, Skypes, Texting.... ITS NO WONDER OUR ECONOMY IS SO BAD.. Sales people cant talk to anyone but machines!

Silly boy.... you can't talk to machines... in my day, our economy was dependant on trade caravans, and good old fashioned conquering.


We didn't have this newfangled "Electronic Power" that you younglings are all hoopty over... if we wanted enough light to see by, we either had to wait until the sun came up, or start burning wood in the tribal firepit!

And indoor plumbing? You spoiled so-and-so's with your fancy soft toilet paper, and automated waste removal "Flushings", you have it so good... We had to dig a hole in the ground, or poop in the woods like GOD intended!

And we wiped with leaves, and you were lucky if they were DRY!

And come winter, we didn't have this fancy schmancy "Frame houses" or your newfangled "Insulation", we had to hunt large game with pointy sticks and rocks, and then cut off it's skin, and WEAR IT just to stay ALIVE.

And it was *ALL* *UPHILL*

In the snow..... and that was before we even DISCOVERED this newfangled convenience of FIRE... you young punks have it so good now... with your "Sanitary Meat" and Textiles....

Your Space Aged "Interior Heating Burners" and your Electronic "Houses"

WE LIVED IN CAVES... you SPOILED.... spoiled....

You are just spoiled.

Technology is not ruining society, humans are, get it right. Technology is evolving society, some in good ways, some bad.

Some of the good I see:
The internet:
I have any amount of information available at my fingertips, I can research anything I want
Instead of bitching about the gov't with a few of buddies after work in the bar, I can now complain to the whole world.
We are no longer tied to MSM to know what is going on in the world, I can get news, and opinions from all over. I can communicate with people that actually live in that area rather then take whatever the media.gov't of that country puts out.
I use it to expand my business because I can reach a wider market, for much less cost then traditional print/tv ads
I have friends that I chat with all over the world, even ones that don't speak English, thanks to translator programs language is no longer a barrier.
We can now organize protests, rallies or other events more fluently.
I've found friends I haven't seen since highschool
More people are "waking up" thanks to not being force fed what the MSM/Gov't rams down our throats.

Computers in general:
Thanks to accounting software I don't have to spend hours and hours doing my book, or hire an accountant.
The advances in science are astounding, think engineering, medical, on and on.
We have computer management systems that streamline transportation to be more efficient, manage power grids, engine management that makes cars more efficient.

Some of the bad I see:
The internet:
The power to invade our personal lives is already at "big brother" level
Relying entirely on integrated computers to control our power grid with no back ups.
People tend to forget that it is actually a human on the other end typing this, so we tend to be more harsh, this brings that lack of interpersonal thing about.
The distractions are endless, makes it very difficult to focus on one issue at a time.
TPTB fear the internet, it makes it harder and harder to conceal their crimes. that fear propagates evil uses on technology.

I'm tired of typing, but I could go on and on with both sides. The fact of the matter is, technology is in infant stages. We've had oral communication for how long and still don't have it right. Think about how firearms changed things, it was easier to feed your family because it is better for hunting, however it also made war more efficient. Until humans evolve past the us and them mentality that has been bred into for 1000's of years we will continue to kill each other over our differences.

Originally posted by bluestar.ranch
Briefly I am a "old retired worker" from several generations ago.....a long time before all the technology. I even remember "door to door sales" (today you would be arrested as a terrorist!!!!!! for carrying a briefcase.. (It might be a bomb!)

I remember when you had to pick up the telephone to make a call to someone.. AND A PERSON ANSWERED, If they did not answer, you called again later.

Today, If I call someone and the "voicemail" does not work, the girl picks up the phone and says, "Sorry The voice mail not working you can't leave a message for John Doe"

I explain to the girl that if she got a pencil and paper she can WRITE MY NAME AND PHONE NUMBER AND HAND THE MESSAGE TO HIM" She is impressed!

I cant reach people any more!!!! .. the more communications the HARDER it is to talk to someone!

Facebook, Email, Twitters, I Phones, I Pads, Computers, Skypes, Texting.... ITS NO WONDER OUR ECONOMY IS SO BAD.. Sales people cant talk to anyone but machines!

Well, folks this was all planned and its just part of the program...

Anyone else? can you not talk to people when you need to? Does todays gadgets and technology keep you from growing your business or making sales?

I am very sorry that you have trouble understanding the world we live in today.

I can say without a doubt that my company has spent over 1 Billion with a B dollars investing in Facebook, twitter, youtube, and every other social means of communication, in order to allow business to better communicate through these channels.

Moreso ROI from social channels is proviable both from a sales lead and customer service perspective.

I challenge you to call comcast for a customer service issue, and tweet an issue at the same time... tell me which gets resolved faster... 100 percent the tweet..

Perhaps you should go to France and be fitted with some new Sabot's.

Technology works for those who know how to use it. If you don't like technology, then go back to paper and quill.

Certainly not everyone can use ever ounce of new technology, but most of it is usable by the average Joe.

I'm 65 and don't have a fancy cell phone, but friends and business customers manage to call me on my land line, and I always answer if I'm home or in the office. Computers have given me opportunities that were previously only a dream.

If ATS allowed us to give a negative, you would have one from me.

reply to post by mrperplexed

Originally posted by mrperplexed


I am very sorry that you have trouble understanding the world we live in today.

I can say without a doubt that my company has spent over 1 Billion with a B dollars investing in Facebook, twitter, youtube, and every other social means of communication, in order to allow business to better communicate through these channels.

Moreso ROI from social channels is proviable both from a sales lead and customer service perspective.

I challenge you to call comcast for a customer service issue, and tweet an issue at the same time... tell me which gets resolved faster... 100 percent the tweet..

well you sir should be very proud
society needs more individuals such as yourself
how great would it be if more people were willing to participate in the exploitation of others yes yes more advertisers i say! and more compelling and effective adds! what makes em tick and how can we use it to make money?more revenue! sheer the sheep!
yes yes standup chap you are

.....billions with a b...... superb... stick it to em with both barrels i always say

reply to post by sirhumperdink

well you sir should be very proud

Not really...He is likely lying unless he works for one of those few large companies.

reply to post by bluestar.ranch

You are so right...no one is forcing us to use it.. its just that people are interacting more with machines and less with "people" Its HARDER to reach people because of about 20 or more different constant and ever changing technology. Oh, and people are depending on technology (and getting dumber every day!) Y

oung people today DO NOT WANT TO WORK.. this is a whole other thead.. (Not all but MANY young consider "working" something that interferes with thier video games) Many of my 50 year old friends and neighbors have "failure to launch" kids living with them.... (I have 2 my self! 21 and 28!) If anyone is under 30..ask your self How many of your friends are living with their parents?

Ok, gotta stop you right there. It's not harder to reach people, it's intensely EASIER, you just don't have the instant gratification of knowing they "heard you". We, well most of us, now have a smartphone that is internet connected, allows for text messaging, video calling and messaging, as well as email and every IM client there is. Seems to me, that makes it easier to connect that ever before.

Young people don't want to work? now you are just a cranky old man who doesn't understand technology, go check the stats friend, kids today are working harder THEN YOU EVER DID ONE DAY OF YOUR LIFE. It's a fact, they are working harder, working harder in school, paying MORE for school, rarely getting benefits, working full time hours at parttime pay, inflated tuition. No sir, you are way wrong.

Failure to launch? Well who's fault is that? My parents never gave me the option of living there for free for life, so if you did, that's your own fault, not your child's. It's human nature to take the easy road.

I just bought a home, I'm almost done paying off my student loans, and let me tell you, if mommy and daddy would let me leech off of them for a few more years, I sure as hell would have.

But i guess that's the difference, my parents were too busy working, raising me, and taking responsibility, so they didn't have much time to bitch, moan, and complain about technology, blaming it for their failings.

Sorry if that's harsh, I'm sick of hearing how lazy kids are today, you clearly have no clue.

I just bought a home, I'm almost done paying off my student loans, and let me tell you, if mommy and daddy would let me leech off of them for a few more years, I sure as hell would have.

What?

reply to post by bluestar.ranch


Very well said.

Although the net offers communcation on a never-before-seen scale, it isn't 'full' communication, we have no visual cues etc.

In the future we may have advanced AI so they can dump voicemail and multiple-choice answering-systems.


QV.

When writing first emerged the bards who memorised vast amounts of information saw it as the death of civilisation because people wouldn't bother remembering stuff any more.

And thus it has been and ever will be.

Society adapts and changes and in a few years time, our present technology will be viewed as quaint and old fashioned.
The pace of change is increasing though, and it's a certainty that within our lifetime technology and society will be greatly changed.
Its not good, its not bad, it just is.