Poll: The Effect of the Interwebs

Do you think the proliferation of social media and the delivery of information over the past 10 year

  • I am at least 44 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 18 7.8%

  • I am at least 44 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 14 6.0%

  • I am at least 34 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 43 18.5%

  • I am at least 34 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 36 15.5%

  • I am younger than 34 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 77 33.2%

  • I am at younger than 34 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.

    Votes: 44 19.0%
  • Total voters
    232

Nitefly

Nitefly

Nitefly

Man of Honour
Joined
24 Sep 2005
Posts
37,433
Today Facebook has informed me I have been a member of their website for 10 years. I'm sure others have had similar recently. 10 years!!! :eek:

It got me thinking how social media and the delivery of information has completely changed the dynamic of how adults go about their day-to-day lives. Being a young whipper-snapper, facebook coincided with adulthood, so I can appreciate the change to a degree... but now young people can probably not conceive a world without smart phones, Facebook, youtube etc.

So... a poll.

Do you think the proliferation of social media and the delivery of information over the past 10 years (youtube... netflix... news... social commentary...) has provided a better quality of life for folk growing up into this world today?

  • I am at least 44 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.
  • I am at least 44 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.
  • I am at least 34 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.
  • I am at least 34 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.
  • I am younger than 34 years old and I think it has provided a better quality of life.
  • I am at younger than 34 years old and I do not think it has provided a better quality of life.

(If you are older 34 then presumably you had the opportunity to sample a decent portion of adult life pre-internet domination. At 44 you had a whole lot of time without it!).

Surely the answer is yes, it is better... but there is something appealing about a less sophisticated way of life. I'm interested to see what others think and whether it's the old timers or the young ones who are more disheartened by it all. But when voting, for the sake of a potentially interesting result, please disregard pr0n! :p

As a side point... as the social media continues to dominate... will forums go the way of the dodo?
 
Oh, I forgot to add... a semi-interesting anecdote... maybe.

I did a skydiving course last year (aged 27) with a bunch of university freshers (all 18-19). I absolutely could not believe how much they used their phones. It was insane, almost like something off a sketch show. It was the first time some of them had met... yet there they all were, in silence... on their phones.

There is definitely a generation gap there.
 
[FnG]magnolia;29185216 said:
I think the abundance of and access to information is unquestionably a good thing. I think social media is also almost solely responsible for the increase in narcissism, self-promotion, and narrowed view points through platforms which encourage ME ME ME! culture.
Click to expand...

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head, but I do question whether having everything so easily accessible is truly a good thing for a lot of people.

What shall I do this evening... I know. Netflix. One episode. Oh another one is starting. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Oh look! An issue that might be important... nope bored... lol look at these kittens!

I remember a profound quote someone posted about Huxley / George Orwell. Mr. Orwell said we would be controlled by fear, but really we are controlled by an abundance of pleasure.

Edit - here it is https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=27400111&postcount=7 so true.
 
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doofer said:
Not sure what the poll is actually asking, is the Internet a good thing? Yes. Is social media? No. Is the Interwebs social media? No.
Click to expand...

I think the internet IS social media for some people.

The question is really whether the major developments on the internet over the last 10 years have been good ones, considering the mavity they seemingly have on every day life.
 
Hades said:
No it is clear the vite is for social media rather than the internet then I want to change my vote to a negative.
Click to expand...

It's the developments on the internet over the last ten years, which has been dominated by the proliferation of social media.

I suppose it includes the chances to accessibility of information too - like smartphones, which are facilitators in the process.
 
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