Have you failed to keep up with the modern, highly-digitised life?
- Thread starter aaronyuri
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The likes of twitter and facebook are mostly just time eaters, although on occasion facebook is useful for local info, and twitter good for an instant search on a world event that is happening right now.
But youtube is almost encyclopedic in it's ability to educate on any topic you care to choose.
Some of my recent uses for it
1) How to change a door handle on a patio door
2) How to change a barrel lock on same
3) Car reviews
4) How to build a garden gate from scratch
5) Educating myself on how personal pensions work as you get to retirement, what money funds are, what fixed term annuities are, the different ways of doing drawdown.
6) More relevant to this place, how to progress past places in PC games (Stalker 2 in my case).
7) Weight training in later life, which are the best exercises for which muscles, what protein suplements actually do, is creatine useful
Takes a little while to find content creators that clearly know their stuff, but once you do it really is a great place to enhance your knowledge.
I agree that for me ChatGPT is going to pass me by, at 60+, I don't need it. But I do see that it is becoming a crucial tool that people just can not do without, it looks likes it is going to be as important to that generation as the internet was for my generation. I just hope that it doesn't becoming so all consuming that it impacts everyday life and so NOT using it becomes a major hit on my life.
And in general, I echo the thoughts of other here in that I've lost my desire to keep up. I was one of the first 200 or so on demon internet, the first internet provider. sometime in the mid 90s. I spent an unbelievable amount of time downloading Doom, the first shareware. I imported one of the first MP3 players into the UK (Rio with a whopping 32MB of storage), was ripping DVDs when it took 24hrs to do so and then they often came out in the wrong aspect ratio or the sound out of sync. That's just by way of indicating that I liked to be on the bleeding edge of tech. But I don't feel a desire to keep on top of the next big innovation, and I actually feel like it's leaving me behind a bit.
But youtube is almost encyclopedic in it's ability to educate on any topic you care to choose.
Some of my recent uses for it
1) How to change a door handle on a patio door
2) How to change a barrel lock on same
3) Car reviews
4) How to build a garden gate from scratch
5) Educating myself on how personal pensions work as you get to retirement, what money funds are, what fixed term annuities are, the different ways of doing drawdown.
6) More relevant to this place, how to progress past places in PC games (Stalker 2 in my case).
7) Weight training in later life, which are the best exercises for which muscles, what protein suplements actually do, is creatine useful
Takes a little while to find content creators that clearly know their stuff, but once you do it really is a great place to enhance your knowledge.
I agree that for me ChatGPT is going to pass me by, at 60+, I don't need it. But I do see that it is becoming a crucial tool that people just can not do without, it looks likes it is going to be as important to that generation as the internet was for my generation. I just hope that it doesn't becoming so all consuming that it impacts everyday life and so NOT using it becomes a major hit on my life.
And in general, I echo the thoughts of other here in that I've lost my desire to keep up. I was one of the first 200 or so on demon internet, the first internet provider. sometime in the mid 90s. I spent an unbelievable amount of time downloading Doom, the first shareware. I imported one of the first MP3 players into the UK (Rio with a whopping 32MB of storage), was ripping DVDs when it took 24hrs to do so and then they often came out in the wrong aspect ratio or the sound out of sync. That's just by way of indicating that I liked to be on the bleeding edge of tech. But I don't feel a desire to keep on top of the next big innovation, and I actually feel like it's leaving me behind a bit.
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Soldato
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- 17 Nov 2005
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- 3,120
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- Swindon, UK
More money + less time as you get older, I think is the main issue.
Honest question though, when and how do you watch YouTube? For me it’s on the computer and I already spend a working day (mostly) there. So beyond getting distracted and watching some random things — I dint really want to spend my evenings sat there any longer. My commute is on the tube and I listen to music or podcasts, no time (or network) to scroll yuutube. My TV in the lounge is shared with my other half and I’d never be able to sit there scrolling inanely or watching random guff like a review of a HP Microserver from 2013 or an opera singer reviewing Slayer - whatever it was I stumbled across the other dayYouTube is the one thing I don’t understand when and how people watch it all the time.
I've got YouTube Premium. I watch it on my phone, PC and Smart TVs. With Premium, on your phone, you can download stuff and turn your screen off whilst it plays in the background.
Some 'crazy' things on YouTube is watching old Christmas adverts from my youth. How to videos on repairing stuff in your house. Walking videos from the major cities of the world. Cockpit videos showing amazing approaches. Live band performances you may have missed or just epic performances, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Fanfare for the common man at Montreal Olympic Stadium. I watch YT more than any other platform. It's what I want, when I want it.
Sort of, I watch Youtube videos on subjects I'm interested in, and the occasional music video binge on Saturday night. I check Facebook once a week to see if anyone has died(!).
I subscribe to a few Twitch streamers, older DJs mainly, they play some great sets.
I subscribe to a few Twitch streamers, older DJs mainly, they play some great sets.
I do find myself spending less time on the Internet these days. It's becoming a bit of a chore tbh, and it's just filled with absolute rubbish.
I still watch quite a bit of YouTube though, but I try to make sure they're interesting videos and not braindead slop. Been watching a lot of channels like Veritasium lately.
I still watch quite a bit of YouTube though, but I try to make sure they're interesting videos and not braindead slop. Been watching a lot of channels like Veritasium lately.
Do you have a partner or live with anyone? I get that you can watch it on all devices but as I sort of said above I don’t want to spend anymore time sat at my computer desk watching things on YouTube— it’s not comfortable or relaxing. I wouldn’t watch anything on the TV because that’s in the lounge and if it’s an evening then my partner and I will be watching something together. On my phone yes occasionally but even then it wouldn’t be in the lounge if there’s something else on the TV or if my girlfriend is chilling then she won’t want to overhear whatever it is on YouTube. In the kitchen maybe but we always have the radio on and I honestly hate being glued to the phone — never do it when eating together. Maybe breakfast but I’m in too much of a rush in the morning.
Like I say, there’s just no good time to get stuck into YouTube in my life. Maybe it’s just me. The most I’ve ever watched for long periods of time is if I’ve been working at home and my girlfriend hasn’t (we usually share an office) so I have occasionally put stuff on in the background. I have occasionally watched some CS tournaments upstairs in the office in an evening I suppose…
I grew up during the 90s and 2000s, so I was at the ripe age when the internet blew up, and have generally kept up with it. On my TV, these days I only ever watch Youtube, Twitch, or whatever movie or show directly, and haven't touched terrestrial TV in years.
Podcasts are literally the only thing I listen to now when commuting, doing an odd job at home or walking about shopping.
I check IG a lot more than I'd like to admit; I use Facebook but only for a quick check, and don't have it installed on my Phone or anything like that. As far as social media apps, I pretty much stopped at IG and Twitter (which I never use myself, but do lurk about sometimes), and haven't jumped ship to TikTok or Bluesky and all that.
I vaguely hear about some of the current memes from watching Youtube and Twitch, but it's getting to the point where I don't understand them. Like this whole 6 7 thing is just beyond me.
Podcasts are literally the only thing I listen to now when commuting, doing an odd job at home or walking about shopping.
I check IG a lot more than I'd like to admit; I use Facebook but only for a quick check, and don't have it installed on my Phone or anything like that. As far as social media apps, I pretty much stopped at IG and Twitter (which I never use myself, but do lurk about sometimes), and haven't jumped ship to TikTok or Bluesky and all that.
I vaguely hear about some of the current memes from watching Youtube and Twitch, but it's getting to the point where I don't understand them. Like this whole 6 7 thing is just beyond me.
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Simpler, better times.
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 3,120
- Location
- Swindon, UK
Yes, I have a wife, married for 14 years and two young children.
I hear what you're saying. I guess the beauty of YT is to watch in-between doing things. Waiting, dishwasher emptying, first coffee in the morning.
With my wife, we've enjoyed Mark Weins. He's never got a bad word to say about food. And then, anything of interest. Camper van in the Highlands, the Pembrokeshire coast, city tours etc. without the adverts, it's so easy to watch.
But mainly as a couple, it's Netflix, iPlayer or Amazon Prime.
I actively avoid social media of almost all sorts because its just a cesspit and its only function currently is to sell you things or manipulate you in some way. I have never read a single person say "I stopped using social media and I am less happy as a result". Its universally the completely opposite.
Honestly I am so critical of it that I actively look down on people who post their lives on it because I just assume they aren't actually enjoying them if they feel the need to constantly advertise it. People who are happy and enjoying life don't spend their time posting huge amounts of content to social media. They don't have the time or desire.
I enjoy podcasts but they are things like crime ones rather than people just talking crap.
Honestly I am so critical of it that I actively look down on people who post their lives on it because I just assume they aren't actually enjoying them if they feel the need to constantly advertise it. People who are happy and enjoying life don't spend their time posting huge amounts of content to social media. They don't have the time or desire.
I enjoy podcasts but they are things like crime ones rather than people just talking crap.
In my 50's
I don't use social media.
Youtube is awesome. You can indulge in any interest that takes your whim. Like others have said, it's virtually completly taken over from normal tv programs for me.
Love my Kindle for books, as any book is available to your interests at a click.
I do use whatsapp, as it's much better than text messages.
As a family with older teens, we have amazon prime, disney, netflix & spotify.
The kids love tick tock, with the endless 30 second dopamine hit. It just makes my head hurt.
I don't use social media.
Youtube is awesome. You can indulge in any interest that takes your whim. Like others have said, it's virtually completly taken over from normal tv programs for me.
Love my Kindle for books, as any book is available to your interests at a click.
I do use whatsapp, as it's much better than text messages.
As a family with older teens, we have amazon prime, disney, netflix & spotify.
The kids love tick tock, with the endless 30 second dopamine hit. It just makes my head hurt.
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