Can We All Go Back to When Technology Wasn't Invasive, Please???

[DebonairDavid]

I know this is going to sound like a boomer rant (despite me being 30), and I know technology will always have a place in society. While I'm able to keep up with the times, I still want to live a simple life regardless.

I recently commented on this thread, https://www.ticklingforum.com/threads/anyone-else-sick-of-ai-tickle-art.434925/, and now I want to bring a bigger thought to everyone else's attention. Are you also sick of most people being so easily bought off by smart devices, surveillance devices, social media, streaming platforms, and AI, and all because of "convenience"? To avoid making this rant a TL;DR, here's a video that sums up how I feel about modern technology: https://iv.melmac.space/watch?v=13Ij2-3R7x8

 

[wolfman28]

I'm a Gen x'er so not quite an old coot, but computer me bobs and apps leave me cold.

I like things simple, I have a laptop, basic smartphone and amazon fire kindle thing.

I have a few of the streaming doo dads, Netflix prime disney, what's mad is that if you wanted to watch a film 20 years ago, you'd still have to go to a store and buy or rent a DVD or video, which are I'm guessing extinct now?

The things I do despise are cookies, especially when you are on a website trying to read something and you get this big fuck off pop up, saying we need your permission to store your details..

That and ads on you tube, I've even got an ad blocker, but they still seem to get through!

 

[DebonairDavid]

Back when physical media was still the norm, you didn't have all of this bullshit that comes with streaming, and because I honestly miss rental stores like Blockbuster more than ever, I was in the process of starting up a rental gig where I'd loan out my CD, DVD/Blu-ray, and video game collection to people I knew personally. I'm hoping to start up a chain of stores once I've made enough money from that.
One of the things I never liked about smartphones is they aren't phones, they're pocket computers with phone capabilities. When I first heard about them back in high school, I thought "That's the dumbest idea I ever heard." The mentality for their design was "You have to lug around all of these gadgets because each of them do one thing, so now here's a complex device that combines all of them into one", and yet when I growing up, I was perfectly fine having to go with out a camera, Gameboy, or MP3 player if I knew it wasn't necessary where I was going. Its also the reason why these pocket computers are so addicting or why they control your life. Its disgusting to see my generation and kids these days glued to these things, and then watch in-person communication gradually die. Ironically, I've periodically owned these abominations. The first time was in college because I wanted a phone with a bigger screen than what my flip phone offered at the time, and I wanted to be able to take pictures. Maybe I could've gotten a QWERTY phone, but I knew I could've used a digital camera for picture taking. The second time was recently where I was using one mostly for participating in the gig economy for work, but now that I have a tablet that does just about everything this "phone" does, I no longer see a need to own it so after I've gotten some money coming in, I'm going to go back to a flip phone again. Thankfully, more and more people are realizing how much of a problem this is, and now following suit as well.
Cookies are a necessary evil because they have to help the website you're on to function better. However, one thing I hate is when some cookie windows give you the option to turn off ads or data collection, when they should be disabled by default. This is an example of how fortune 500 companies have turned data into the new oil. The guy who created the Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has realized how many problems it's developed in recent years, and now wants to put an end to all of that by having people use a tool called SoLID (Social LInked Data), which will give the end user full control over their data again. I'm not sure of how successful that will be because it sounds like another cloud providing service.
Don't use YouTube directly because the developers have you by the balls. I use a privacy-based front-end called Invidious. The only occasional but annoying problem I've ran into is some videos won't play correctly on sites using the software, so you have to switch to another one to get them to work. Other times, YouTube is trying to block certain sites, so you have to switch to another one instead. I've learned to live with it.

 

[kurchatovium]

the scariest thing right now is AI. Use to be even if one were collecting info on everyone that that is so much information it is hard to sort through it all and pinpoint individuals. AI changes all that. One can now have extremely large storage devices and soon AI will be able to process all that tremendous amount of info.

 

[BlueLine7045]

Sorry mate, it's never going to happen. EVER. Technology is rapidly advancing now too fast and with the current rush for "market dominating AI and superior robotics" every single company is trying to get a piece. Companies today including social media have become way too good at getting people addicted to their products and convincing them to buy more, more, MORE. Always need to have the latest and greatest. Upgrade your phone every year, track your entire health history on the latest smart watch, and don't even get me started on the smart cars, smart glasses, smart rings, or eventual robot servants. You either adapt and assimilate or you get left behind.

With that being said, I'm a 32 year old male born in 92 and who still remembers what it was like to not have 10,000 shows to watch or stream, slow dial-up internet, and spent a quarter or more of my life without a phone in my pocket. I left practically ALL social media several years ago because I was tired of all the bullshit and I have never looked back. I am honestly happier without it.

A lot of the people I know and my friends who are addicted to social media (Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, etc.) seem to be downtrodden and depressed. Idk if there's any relation but I personally find myself to be generally happier without it. I honestly don't even watch the news either. Sure, I have no idea what's going on most of the time, but I'm happy. Ignorance is bliss. True as fugg.

At the end of the day though, too much of society today relies on current technology such as social media, paying through smartphone, Bluetooth, etc. to simply turn back the clock to simpler times. Technology is too intertwined. We either have to deal with it, or move to the most remote, isolated, and simple places to get away from it. But there's no real escape in the end.

 

[DebonairDavid]

the scariest thing right now is AI. Use to be even if one were collecting info on everyone that that is so much information it is hard to sort through it all and pinpoint individuals. AI changes all that. One can now have extremely large storage devices and soon AI will be able to process all that tremendous amount of info.

While you have a reason to be scared, AI itself is a double-edged sword. Yes, the Elite will sadly use it for nefarious purposes, but there are plenty of computer scientists out there working their asses off to prevent that from ever happening (sadly it's become a power play). When it comes to processing info about people, how that's avoided by using encryption and practicing good op-sec (operations security). This means avoiding any software or devices that have back doors in them as much as possible. While there's some instances where you have no choice but to live with them (as your credit card and cell phone are necessary for surviving in the modern age, but both are being monitored by governments and corporations), making a consistently conscious effort to be careful with what you use can make you less of a target. I don't know how encryption will look in the future, especially with AI on the rise, but I know there are people working on making impenetrable against AI trying to decrypt people's information.

 

[DebonairDavid]

Sorry mate, it's never going to happen. EVER. Technology is rapidly advancing now too fast and with the current rush for "market dominating AI and superior robotics" every single company is trying to get a piece. Companies today including social media have become way too good at getting people addicted to their products and convincing them to buy more, more, MORE. Always need to have the latest and greatest. Upgrade your phone every year, track your entire health history on the latest smart watch, and don't even get me started on the smart cars, smart glasses, smart rings, or eventual robot servants. You either adapt and assimilate or you get left behind.

With that being said, I'm a 32 year old male born in 92 and who still remembers what it was like to not have 10,000 shows to watch or stream, slow dial-up internet, and spent a quarter or more of my life without a phone in my pocket. I left practically ALL social media several years ago because I was tired of all the bullshit and I have never looked back. I am honestly happier without it.

A lot of the people I know and my friends who are addicted to social media (Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, etc.) seem to be downtrodden and depressed. Idk if there's any relation but I personally find myself to be generally happier without it. I honestly don't even watch the news either. Sure, I have no idea what's going on most of the time, but I'm happy. Ignorance is bliss. True as fugg.

At the end of the day though, too much of society today relies on current technology such as social media, paying through smartphone, Bluetooth, etc. to simply turn back the clock to simpler times. Technology is too intertwined. We either have to deal with it, or move to the most remote, isolated, and simple places to get away from it. But there's no real escape in the end.

You're not wrong to think that, especially when most of the population continues to be corralled like cattle by Big Tech (or the Man in a bigger sense), and newer technology continues to phase out how things used to be done (in good and bad ways). However, while digital detox is still a new thing, it has been gaining a trend since it's inception, and we'll probably be seeing or hearing about a lot more in the coming years. Also, I'm not at all saying old tech is God compared to what exists today because there are plenty of reasons why it got phased out. What I am saying is simpler tech still works, and is in many ways better than these smart devices do, so all we have to do is get back into the habit of using it. How we can do that is not only using it ourselves, but teaching kids to do the same. Thankfully, Gen-Z is starting to do this by ditching smart "phones" for flip phones while also going back to digital cameras. I'm sure they'll eventually go back to MP3 players and handheld game consoles as well.

 

[BlasterMaster]

I greatly fear the drive for "market dominating AI and superior robotics" is eventually going to lead to a truly immense increase in poverty and oppression all around the world. We'll have to see I guess. The USA is one of the few nations that still has practically ZERO laws regulating AI and robotic automation.

 

[DebonairDavid]

I greatly fear the drive for "market dominating AI and superior robotics" is eventually going to lead to a truly immense increase in poverty and oppression all around the world. We'll have to see I guess. The USA is one of the few nations that still has practically ZERO laws regulating AI and robotic automation.

While some version of RoboCop could exist, enough people would immediately realize how much of a slippery slope that would become and raise holy hell as a result. LAPD got into a controversy last year about the use of robotic dogs and how that could turn the area into a police state. (I don't support the mainstream media, but here's an article about it) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-robot-police-dog-approved-despite-grave-concerns/

 

[kurchatovium]

While you have a reason to be scared, AI itself is a double-edged sword. Yes, the Elite will sadly use it for nefarious purposes, but there are plenty of computer scientists out there working their asses off to prevent that from ever happening (sadly it's become a power play). When it comes to processing info about people, how that's avoided by using encryption and practicing good op-sec (operations security). This means avoiding any software or devices that have back doors in them as much as possible. While there's some instances where you have no choice but to live with them (as your credit card and cell phone are necessary for surviving in the modern age, but both are being monitored by governments and corporations), making a consistently conscious effort to be careful with what you use can make you less of a target. I don't know how encryption will look in the future, especially with AI on the rise, but I know there are people workin

g on

making impenetrable against AI trying to decrypt people's information.

Sadly such is the case with all new technologies. Take nuclear science for example radiadiation therapy or nuclear bombs. The problem isn't technology in a way but that out paces our humanity. That's when things become a problem.

Excuse the weird quoting my eyesight is not so good I messed it up.

 

[DebonairDavid]

Sadly such is the case with all new technologies. Take nuclear science for example radiation therapy or nuclear bombs. The problem isn't technology in a way but that out paces our humanity. That's when things become a problem.

Much like how Oppenheimer regretted working on the Manhattan Project

 

[kurchatovium]

Much like how Oppenheimer regretted working on the Manhattan Project

Pretty much. I think Einstein was the one that first said that our humanity must keep pace with our technology. So I can't take credit for it lol.

 

[GarnettRose]

With how quickly social media changes, I am honestly terrified for the upcoming generations

 

[DebonairDavid]

With how quickly social media changes, I am honestly terrified for the upcoming generations

Which is why we should get our kids to participate in digital detox. I don't have any at the moment, but if I did, I'd do that to lead by example. I had this job coach years ago who said he sees his relationships with his students as a partnership, rather than seeing himself as an authority figure, and believed if I did something wrong, then he did something wrong to begin with. This is the kind of mentality ALL parents should have.

 

[GarnettRose]

Which is why we should get our kids to participate in digital detox. I don't have any at the moment, but if I did, I'd do that to lead by example. I had this job coach years ago who said he sees his relationships with his students as a partnership, rather than seeing himself as an authority figure, and believed if I did something wrong, then he did something wrong to begin with. This is the kind of mentality ALL parents should have.

Honestly I wish it were that simple but it's not. I may hate the invasiveness of social media but it is real and it isn't going away. Unless you keep your kid in a bunker their whole life, they are going to be exposed to it at school, with their friends, or out in the real world. I may not want my kids to have a tik tok, but eventually they are going to grow up and have access to it. I'd much rather teach them healthy ways to interact with it now so they can make good choices when they are our on their own.

 

[DebonairDavid]

Honestly I wish it were that simple but it's not. I may hate the invasiveness of social media but it is real and it isn't going away. Unless you keep your kid in a bunker their whole life, they are going to be exposed to it at school, with their friends, or out in the real world. I may not want my kids to have a tik tok, but eventually they are going to grow up and have access to it. I'd much rather teach them healthy ways to interact with it now so they can make good choices when they are our on their own.

While its true that there's a time and place for everything, its possible after kids participate in certain technology-free activities, they'll find it fun enough to want to do so again on a more frequent basis to the point where their technology usage is more balanced out. This is even more true when they're doing it with other kids their age, leading them to engage in more in-person communication. Have them try these: https://www.metrokids.com/50-things-to-do-without-technology/

 

[GarnettRose]

While its true that there's a time and place for everything, its possible after kids participate in certain technology-free activities, they'll find it fun enough to want to do so again on a more frequent basis to the point where their technology usage is more balanced out. This is even more true when they're doing it with other kids their age, leading them to engage in more in-person communication. Have them try these: https://www.metrokids.com/50-things-to-do-without-technology/

I think your success is going to depend largely on both the individual child and the resources a family has access to.

 

[DebonairDavid]

I think your success is going to depend largely on both the individual child and the resources a family has access to.

True