A world without Internet.

[Ming the Merciless]

I really struggle to understand the negativity towards the modern world on threads such as this

I think you just look at the rise in mental health issues and wonder how much of that is to do with the always on connected world.

 

[Drago]

How many spare loo rolls, tins of beans and AK47 rifles do you have ?

10 months of loo rolls, about 200 ti s of various foods (that I rotate through), and no AKs that I'll adnit to although I do have a shotgun.

 

[lazybloke]

Poor timing for some when the Virgin Media broadband and TV service died in our street earlier this week.
Who knew a soccerball match was so important?

I’m just back from a walk with only my house keys. How on earth did I cope?

By keeping out of sight of anybody likely to report a naked man walking around?

Was there somewhere to hang the keys?

 

[tyred]

I couldn't do my job without internet!

We rely on it so much nowadays. When I was in Carlisle a few days ago, the hotel wi-fi was terrible and my mobile data connection kept dropping in and out. I was trying to sort out my ferry booking and a few other things so ended up buying a pint and sitting in a corner of Whetherspoons as I needed internet. I could have got a big bag of coins, found a working payphone and spent 3 hours on hold to the P&O booking line, or wrote to them, enclosing a cheque or postal order, but internet makes it much easier.

Yesterday in Ayr, when I was weighing up my options for getting back to Stranraer, I just got my phone out and looked up possible cycle routes, bus and train time tables.

The internet makes so many things so much easier. Some people probably do over-use it but I wouldn't like to be without it either.

 

[Electric_Andy]

As a father of an 11 year old gamer I can say not always. Right now he's half an hour late from primary school. Not to worry, he'll be in the playing fields up the footpath from here and near the school playing football until someone goes up there to drag him home!

Even when he's on his computer gaming with his phone nearby the core of the experience is social interaction. He's communicating in the modern way in the modern world he lives in. Is posting on here really that much different? Is sitting at home reading a book on something irrelevant to modern life any better?

At least he's talking to real people he knows through his headset. He's cooperating on the game and he's talking about things important to them.

Heck he often remembers homework needs to be done when a friend gets dragged from their computer in their bedrooms to do it!

I really struggle to understand the negativity towards the modern world on threads such as this. Being connected socially is very important and modern tech just allows it to happen in newer and more effective ways.

Imho it's better than my day when leaving school I mostly sat alone in my room isolated on my spectrum playing a game without social interaction.

Incidentally where am I now? Interacting with complete strangers on a cycling forum alone, in my study. I suspect all posters in this thread posted when alone too.

Couldn't agree more. My mum is always on to me saying he spends too much time in the computer. But the reality is he's chatting to his friends. The alternative would be watching TV alone like I used to do

 

[Beebo]

We did as youngsters. I well remember the many power cuts and candles in the house.

And did you moan and complain

 

[stephec]

I couldn't do my job without internet!

We rely on it so much nowadays. When I was in Carlisle a few days ago, the hotel wi-fi was terrible and my mobile data connection kept dropping in and out. I was trying to sort out my ferry booking and a few other things so ended up buying a pint and sitting in a corner of Whetherspoons as I needed internet. I could have got a big bag of coins, found a working payphone and spent 3 hours on hold to the P&O booking line, or wrote to them, enclosing a cheque or postal order, but internet makes it much easier.

Yesterday in Ayr, when I was weighing up my options for getting back to Stranraer, I just got my phone out and looked up possible cycle routes, bus and train time tables.

The internet makes so many things so much easier. Some people probably do over-use it but I wouldn't like to be without it either.

Carlisle in general's a pile of poo for a phone signal.

At the Nestle factory in Dalston, a few miles south of Carlisle, the only way to get a signal is one corner of the canteen where you can get patchy 3G,or you can walk aii the way over to the top end of the visitor car park and sometimes get 4G.

It's great because no one from work can mither you when you're up there. 😀

 

[Ming the Merciless]

And did you moan and complain

No, it was bit of an adventure.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I was trying to sort out my ferry booking

As a foot passenger you can just walk up pay there and then, and get on the ferry. Car you only risk it being booked up, but again you can just turn up.

We use the web as it is convenient and brings certainty. But ringing up or just turning up (without booking in advance) still works for many things

 

[markemark]

I really get annoyed when he has a meal with us and eat with his tablet in front of him. I tried many times to stop him doing that but it always ends in an argument so I gave up in the end. At least, he very rarely seldom eats with us nowadays, that may be why.

Really sorry to say this, but it does sound like he has all of you wrapped around his little finger. He’s 11. He’s not in charge. Unless he’s allowed to be.

Of course there may be any number of developmental issues and other factors I could not possibly know from the limited information.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I really get annoyed when he has a meal with us and eat with his tablet in front of him. I tried many times to stop him doing that but it always ends in an argument

Your house, your rules. He wants to eat with you then no tablets. What he does with his parents doesn’t come into it. My mother wouldn’t put up with any of this nonsense from grandkids. But then she was a head teacher and still has the evil eye and voice!

 

[Time Waster]

I think you just look at the rise in mental health issues and wonder how much of that is to do with the always on connected world.

True, but I doubt it's as simple as the connected world.

Also, the negativity seems to centre on using the modern technology and not doing all the things "we used to do". It's that really this that I struggle to understand. I'm a child born early 70s. As a kid I got sent out to play but also had fun indoors with the toy tech of the day. Later on I for things indoors like AD&D, playing on the zz spectrum and simply passing with lego or toy cars. I assume out of those indoors activity ppl only have issues with the computer!

The truth is very likely that if this modern tech was available when we were all kids we'd be doing exactly the same things as kids today and the generations before us would be complaining about what the kids of our day were doing.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The truth is very likely that if this modern tech was available when we were all kids

Games consoles were available when we were kids. You were not allowed to be on them for long periods.

 

[Time Waster]

Only wrong in how they are used, which seemed to a distraction tool by the parents rather than educating their kids on life beyond the palms of their hands. In the 1970s I'd imagine you'd have different tools for the same job, but the point being if they weren't available there would be something else- you weren't reliant on a device they way some modern kids are. Kids that have a meltdown if their device stops seem to have no life or social skills beyond staring at the device and having it tell them what to do next.

You're not wrong about older couples mind, I don't get why someone would spend money going out only to sit in silence staring down.

Oh we had meltdowns back then too. Whilst adults seem to enjoy drinking alcohol and chatting shoot about nothing important it was never fun for us, at least for very long. Oh we might be given a pack of cards or top trumps but rummy is boring after the tenth game and that's probably when the augments and meltdowns happened. Two options for the adults back then, smack em to get them to behave or take then home as "overtired"!

 

[Time Waster]

Games consoles were available when we were kids. You were not allowed to be on them for long periods.

That's not the same though is it? No comms, not portable no social media, etc. If we had smartphones back then we'd be in the same situation as now. It is only about the generation that got it.