TV and computers are wrecking home and emotional life.

[TheDoctor]

There's any number of people I'd never have met were it not for the Interwebs, rides I wouldn't have ridden, far-flung mates I'd have little contact with, train rides I'd never have done because I wouldn't have even known they existed.
Modern technology isn't a good thing or a bad thing - it's just a thing.
It's a tool, and what we use it for is inside our control.
Could it be alienating, isolating?
Maybe. It can also be empowering and liberating.

 

[brokenflipflop]

There's any number of people I'd never have met were it not for the Interwebs, rides I wouldn't have ridden, far-flung mates I'd have little contact with, train rides I'd never have done because I wouldn't have even known they existed.
Modern technology isn't a good thing or a bad thing - it's just a thing.
It's a tool, and what we use it for is inside our control.
Could it be alienating, isolating?
Maybe. It can also be empowering and liberating.

I think for the older generation who have previously learned to communicate effectively face to face and had plenty of practice at it and have subsequently joined the internet age I'd agree it's a useful addition to their lives. IMO though, anyone under the age of about 35 who've grown up knowing little else than using their thumbs and gawping at their i-phone/ipad/ipod/pc/mac I think maybe not so much.

 

[Fletch456]

It is a tremendously unerring fact that the older generation (at 42 I do similar now) lament the changes they see in the younger generation compared to their situation. However as this thread is pointing out the most important and valuable thing is real life social interaction (ie face to face) - we engage on a whole different and much better level then dont we. I had the joy (?!) of diagnosed clinically depressed a few years ago and courtesy of BUPA got ££££s worth of therapy - actually it was a tremendously good learning experience - thankfully I wasnt in half the situation of many that I met. (Dont feel sad now when you read that, I am in a far superior place and probably havent been happier). Anyway point I learnt was social interaction (non-online) is tremendously important for us.

One of our best allies is the off button and self-discipline (<-- I am not saying I am a master of the latter by any means but genuinely trying to increase mine). I am increasing the amount of radio listening I do instead of tv (I do more than I like to think of - am sure). It frees up my brain...feels quite different to tv, the "cathode ray nipple" as The Disposable Heroes of Hyphoprisy once sang. The pretty (Samsung make a nice tv) black screen in the corner can call loudly and whilst doing a gazillion other things may be better for us we're, at times, just lazy creatures too.

For losing kids to computers can you get create something else you could do with them? Limit time spent on? Pull the plug or would WWIII actually happen? Take out the fuse? Gag them and tie them to a chair til they submit?!! Is there a way or mean?

"The family that plays together, stays together" as Madonna once sang (whilst covering someone else's

Again, I feel like I've taken a thread more seriously than some and I need to do..hey ho.

 

[swee'pea99]

It's not all doom 'n gloom...both mine are total IT-junkies, forever tied to a screen, but in truth there's nothing they enjoy more than a few rounds of rummy or a good cribbage sesh. You just have to be up for it, and make sure it's fun for everyone (prevent it getting gnarly...make sure the better make allowances for the less able, etc.)

 

[brokenflipflop]

Well my kids have grown up now but I'd say it would be impossible to police/limit their internet use. When I frequently asked what her home work was my daughter replied she had to look at one website or another. When I asked her what the kids without broadband/laptops were supposed to do she was quite shocked "Daaaaad, everyones got broadband". It's probably why my 19 year old apprentice can't use a screwdriver without cocking it up but she can re-format her hard-drive in 7 seconds. When Steve Jobs died and everyone was gushing over his contribution to mankind, I happened to mention that I had had a bad customer service experience from Apple. From the responses I got to what I'd said you would have thought I'd just poisoned their own Grandmother. I find the whole IT world such a strange phenomenon and I think some people love their gadgets more than their families.

 

[Flying Dodo]

The thing is that earlier generations would have complained about how the new fangled invention of the wireless was removing people from enjoying the camaraderie of the music hall.

Society is constantly evolving into new forms, and new links are and will be forged to connect people. I'd imagine in a few years time, people will think how bizarre it was to have a slab like an iphone to communicate and store music with, when we've all got implants to do all that and far more for us.

 

[ColinJ]

I watched my niece simultaneously grappling with 2 mobiles, an iPod, a cordless landline phone, a Twitter window, a facebook window, an MSN Messenger window and an email window, all of them updating every few seconds. She was just about managing to keep up with them but the stress was telling on her. Her circle were so desperately communicating with each other that 99% of the communication consisted of nothing more than "Ace", "Kewwwwwl!", "Slapper!", "Bloody Pedo!" and so on. Apparently she regularly uses up her monthly allowance of 3,000 texts by mid-month!

There was a programme on the BBC the other night about facebook and someone made the point that trying to keep up with 500-odd facebook 'friends' means that you have virtually no time left for your 5 or 6 real ones or your close family.

I see it as turning people into ant-like creatures living in a global colony, but instead of using chemical messaging, the technology does it electronically.

I think CycleChat is a nice place to hang out, but I wouldn't bother if I wasn't doing regular forum rides with CC members!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

my wife and i have just been sat playing a game on our ipod touches, which i thought fair enough as we both were. for some reason though, that seems to count as me unilaterally ignoring her but not the other way around

 

[brokenflipflop]

Coincidentally tonight on local TV there was an article on a new Morrisons store in downtown Salford. Morrisons wanted to recruit the majority of the staff from the local community. They soon discovered that 80% of the staff didn't know how to look people/customers in the eye when they were talking to them. They couldn't add up and their grasp of English was appalling. They were all sent on a training course to learn these "skills". Part of the blame was put on gadgets part of it was they are just thick.

 

[brokenflipflop]

my wife and i have just been sat playing a game on our ipod touches, which i thought fair enough as we both were. for some reason though, that seems to count as me unilaterally ignoring her but not the other way around

Someone has bolted Blackpool tower to the back of your winter bike.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

good winter training though…

 

[wiggydiggy]

......

How do we spend our evenings nowadays? ...........

Just to throw a 'non family home' view in I tend to spend my evenings online gaming, its quite a social activity as even if your not playing the same game you can be chatting in a party on different games. Its certainly better than spending time alone just wating tele (even if I do enjoy that occasionally). If I'm not gaming I do tend be on a few sites, this one included, just shooting the breeze with people so for me its a definite benefit. Outside of the game we organise meets and I have travelled abroad in the past to meet gamers from Belgium, France, Germany, Norway....

I can see how the internet has 'spoiled' certain family experiences though, and its not just family experiences. I hate it for example when your in the pub with friends, and there is always one who is glued to their phone - its just rude. I often see other groups where every single one is on the phone, it starts with one person then slowly everyone else gets theirs out. Another example is my mum always complains to me when I phone her that 'your dads on his bloody laptop again'

And I do hate certain parts of the 'social' internet, I gave up on Facebook as self indulgent poo and Twitter once the initial excitement was over bored me with constantly needing to follow the latest and greatest.

Socially the internet has its uses, but it will never hopefully replace the simple conversation?

 

[Globalti]

....preferably a conversation with somebody OLD, because old folk know how to hold a conversation.

 

[marinyork]

Coincidentally tonight on local TV there was an article on a new Morrisons store in downtown Salford. Morrisons wanted to recruit the majority of the staff from the local community. They soon discovered that 80% of the staff didn't know how to look people/customers in the eye when they were talking to them. They couldn't add up and their grasp of English was appalling. They were all sent on a training course to learn these "skills". Part of the blame was put on gadgets part of it was they are just thick.

That's just our culture (of which computers are now are part). We place very low value on these skills these days too - which doesn't help (again that's our culture). Don't really find it convincing at all blaming gadgets and stuff for that.

 

[wiggydiggy]

....preferably a conversation with somebody OLD, because old folk know how to hold a conversation.

Anyone north of 40 then Still true what you say lol I meet some people my age (mid 20's - mid 30's) and they are almost dumstruck to be able to talke about anyhting other than 'media type stuff' e.g. a conversation about uk history is beyond them. Luckily most of my friends can hold a decent conversation.