Poll: The Effect of the Interwebs

[Nitefly]

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!!!

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!

As a side point... as the social media continues to dominate... will forums go the way of the dodo?

 

[Nix]

Social media has its downsides which as adults I don't think we're really privy to, such as how the dynamics of school bullying must have changed. Indeed, as adults we're aware of the psychological downsides and fabrication which exist on Facebook -- people only show what they want you to see. As children, they're far less likely to have adequate defenses against the messages that sends out.

Overall though, I think pupils today are very lucky. They have many useful tools and resources at the touch of their fingertips to help and supplement their education. Where we had a couple of pages of Encarta or had to look through outdated encyclopedias in the local library, they have Wikipedia. Where we had neopets, they have YouTube and educational resources such as this. Where we had slow and limited computing power, they have no such limits.

That said, being a child in the 90s wasn't without its charms as it was before video games and mobile phones. Without being a teacher, it's hard to understand how the dynamics of the classroom have changed. Indeed, blackboards seem to be a thing of the past and new accessible and digital methods have been brought into the classroom.

Youngsters today do seem to have an overall better quality of life. I'm happy for them.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I don't have Facebook etc, but I have been on this forum for 12 years

I get the impression that forums are more personal than social media, in that I have met dozens of people through forums especially the clubbing ones.

37 btw.

Loved Hampsterdance and other silly memes from early internet, but I sure don't miss the bloody pop-up ads from that time! Internet browsers were just 'meh' back then, then it all changed when Netscape got open-sourced as Mozilla/Firefox. Been using that since 2002

 

[TommyV]

Social media does my nut in, but has it's uses for everyone.

I don't post a thing on my feed and massively restrict who can see anything on my profile anyway. It is however great for the groups inwhich people with common interests can chat/trade/bicker which I get involved in.

Aside from social media, and the utter retardation it can bring out in people, the delivery of information is fantastic.

I mean, who doesn't want to know what your brother's sister-in-law is currently preparing for dinner, to "treat the hubby"?
Or, who doesn't want to know that you're currently having a "cheeky nandos?", or that people are "on my way to the airport to go holibobs!"

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

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.

 

[FrenchTart]

Unpollievable.

 

[savagesam117]

I'm a youngen' and hate the constant use of mobile phones and social media. No one I know will leave their phone alone for an afternoon, it's so annoying! And I don't care about how the baby they had at 16 is now able to say mum or whatever else they post. I only use Facebook for closed car groups etc.

Whilst the internet does have it's huge advantages, like when I'm doing something I don't know, Youtube and Google will most likely tell me how to do it. And at Uni were out lectures send us the notes they've made on the smart board etc.

I do believe it has enhanced life for us young ones!

 

[Tosno]

I'm too young and beautiful to post here, but nothing is better than a 90s childhood!

 

[steve45]

closer to 32 than i am 31, I feel I've experienced life long enough pre internet to have a valid opinion of life with it, I mean even in my mid teens pay phones were my mobile, and with dial up internet was more of a chore than anything and i only used it if I really really had to. but with the introduction of broadband i'd say overwhelmingly the quality of life is better with, at the simplest terms the pure ease of access of information is the biggest factor, let alone the convenience the internet provides.
Lets put aside the social media factor, i hate social media although i am a hypocrite i do have a FB, Twitter and Instagram account and i do frequent forums, I do prefer the more personal forms of communication, given the choice i will always choose talking face to face rather than phone calls, or phone calls to texts etc etc

Everyone is connected these days by some means, from a professional sense this is great but a personal sense this is a tragedy, the fact that i can get in trouble from work for not being contactable is horrible, I genuinely despise this. and i take every opportunity i get to go off grind where possible, nothing beats a few days of a week of absolute 0% internet phone access. its refreshing, but at the same time i wouldn't want to life without the option of fast internet access.

 

[Dave]

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.

Couldn't have put it better, really. I wouldn't watch this movie.

 

[Nitefly]

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.

 

[Yaayuh!]

I can't really answer the question as I have no idea why life would be like without it.

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.

Tru dat.

 

[Ayahuasca]

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.

My views on it exactly.

There's also little reason for many of us to leave the house now if we really don't need to.

 

[novaenough]

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.

Absolutely this.

 

[jsmoke]

I can remember using the internet in 1994, it's good for communicating and learning however probably has downsides also, can make us more hermit like. Overall good stuff.

 

[Nitefly]

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.

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.

 

[Randomface74]

Probably could have done with a 24 age bracket too.

 

[estebanrey]

I'm neutral so haven't voted. In the plus column Facebook has made organizing events/nights out a breeze, I've seen some of the funniest videos and laughed a lot, has given me the ability to quickly communicate with pals and share media with them and completely removed the pre-social media evil of having to go around your friends after they return from a holiday to go through their snaps.

One the other hand the spread of misinformation/baseless conspiracies is worrying. I have to post some kind of Snopes rebuttal every other day and it genuinely depresses me how quickly people are to believe any old **** in a meme and just share it without doing the most basic research into whether it is true or not.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

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.

I think that with great accessibility comes great personal responsibility (to partly mangle a different quote). Choice is not a bad thing; having Netflix as a media option is not a bad thing; sharing experiences via social media is not a bad thing; access to forums and websites is not a bad thing.

The problems come when the person with these choices can't stop watching Netflix, doesn't share experiences but instead posts endless vanity shots on facebook, and takes tumblr/reddit/other awful platforms as a place where not only are they entitled to spout their brain-wrongs, we are expected to listen and applaud them.

The poor usage of the data and information we have available to us, the entitled, smug, disregard of others through platforms we all have access to, is staggeringly depressing.

 

[robfosters]

and completely removed the pre-social media evil of having to go around your friends after they return from a holiday to go through their snaps.

So much this. Oh the joys!

"This one is Dave by the pool, This one is Maureen in our hotel room, This is Dave on the Khazi after a dodgy Paella"

Absolutely agonising hours they were.