9 reasons the 21st century is making you miserable

[Agozer]

http://www.cracked.com/article_15231_7- ... rable.html

Discuss.

[odditude]

Win.

[grinvader]

Hmm. Lots of truth in there. Which brings me to...

#8. Humanity sucks.
If pointing out glaring stupidity was enough to fix it, it'd be known by now. We're fucking screwed ten times over, so let's just stop caring and cope.

[Deathlike2]

It's genius.

As long as the guy doesn't write this to create a religion, we're good.

[Joe Camacho]

It might sound quite hypocritic, posting this on an internet message board, but that's the natural consequences of relying on the internet as the only way of socializing, it's a tool and nothing more.

Of course, if he had named the article "7 things you get from being an addicted internet nerd", it wouldn't have gotten so much traffic, I guess.

[alexz721]

Yet I find that it's true even for those who are casual Internet users. The amount of alternative communication paths has killed face-to-face interactions. More than ever, I find the younger generation is uncomfortable with one-on-one conversations and stunted emotionally simply because IM or Facebook is just so much easier.

[whicker]

This is a US-centric opinion:

The problem I see with meeting out in meatspace is, is that there really is no good place to meet. Loud smoky bars where you cannot hear anything, corporate cookie-cutter franchise restaurants with plastic seats, sterile museum-like malls... Everywhere but the ass planted at a home/dorm/apartment costs additional money, versus a fixed fee.


Also, I have no problem going to a place on the internet and discussing with fellow minds, like for example emulation boards. There's just so much shit in life to do, to have interest in, some very complicated things as well. How could your neighbor possibly be into the things you are into. So fricken what? Around here the conversation would degenerate into the boring commonalities: deer huntin', beer drinking, chevy trucks, penis jokes, and hatred of the president/government.

I disagree about the point about the lack of mass media news, as in "hey, did you hear that...". And I can actually say, "no, I didn't hear. Tell me about it." News is still not varied and filtered enough for lifestyle/gender/age/temperament. And I personally don't care to hear about every little natural disaster or "regional conflict" that befalls earth. I still disagree, and feel that the news still is pretty much one big circle jerk (associated press). The news pretty much tells you who to vote for.

I read some insightful things (from Paul Graham) that humans really only are mentally equipped to deal with about 20 close people in a particular group. His particular point was that this is the reason why the corporate structure of managers arises.

However, what grinds my gears is how (the visible) women around here cling to their jabberbox even doing the simplest task like walking down the street. It does everything for them: police on speed-dial, mommy as preset #1, chinese delivery on line 2, "so like totally omigod" with friend #3, big brother beatemup on line #4, and suckerboy at the bottom of the list in case she gets too liquored up and needs a ride home. So my point on that for these people that there is no maturity or independence or self reliance. Lose the phone and you get a panicky crying child. It's hilarious (to me) some of the stories my mother, who for 3 years worked at a lost cellphone claims department, would relate at how much of a crisis this was for people.

[blackmyst]

Well, a lot of it is true, but I have a few nitpicks.

I don't agree with the assessment that text conversation is totally useless. Sure, you can't read tone and visual cues (though let's be honest, those of us with some experience know how to work around this with good, clear language). But on the other side of the coin, we all know near-anonymous communication removes a lot of inhibitions. Because of this, you can actually tell a lot about a person by the way they communicate online, that you can't tell face to face.

Second, the article makes it seem as if they think nothing created on a computer can ever provide any satisfaction the way physically doing something can. I think a lot of us here know better than that.

[Deathlike2]

Yet I find that it's true even for those who are casual Internet users. The amount of alternative communication paths has killed face-to-face interactions. More than ever, I find the younger generation is uncomfortable with one-on-one conversations and stunted emotionally simply because IM or Facebook is just so much easier.

Perhaps, but being able to express yourself clearly.. is not always that easy. Some people think better and end up communicating better this way. In the end, there should be a bit more face-to-face interaction.. just to keep the connection between the person intact (see long distance relationships).

The problem I see with meeting out in meatspace is, is that there really is no good place to meet. Loud smoky bars where you cannot hear anything, corporate cookie-cutter franchise restaurants with plastic seats, sterile museum-like malls... Everywhere but the ass planted at a home/dorm/apartment costs additional money, versus a fixed fee.

Try the park? It seems like a lost location these days...

I disagree about the point about the lack of mass media news, as in "hey, did you hear that...". And I can actually say, "no, I didn't hear. Tell me about it." News is still not varied and filtered enough for lifestyle/gender/age/temperament. And I personally don't care to hear about every little natural disaster or "regional conflict" that befalls earth. I still disagree, and feel that the news still is pretty much one big circle jerk (associated press). The news pretty much tells you who to vote for.

I wouldn't quite go that far, but thinking for yourself is of utmost importance...

However, what grinds my gears

Heh Family Guy.

is how (the visible) women around here cling to their jabberbox even doing the simplest task like walking down the street. It does everything for them: police on speed-dial, mommy as preset #1, chinese delivery on line 2, "so like totally omigod" with friend #3, big brother beatemup on line #4, and suckerboy at the bottom of the list in case she gets too liquored up and needs a ride home. So my point on that for these people that there is no maturity or independence or self reliance. Lose the phone and you get a panicky crying child. It's hilarious (to me) some of the stories my mother, who for 3 years worked at a lost cellphone claims department, would relate at how much of a crisis this was for people.

It's really people not truly thinking for themselves for the most part, although, at this point people tend to be set in their ways, which doesn't hit them when they could be realizing there are better options are more important things in life than what they are accustomed to.

Well, a lot of it is true, but I have a few nitpicks.

I don't agree with the assessment that text conversation is totally useless. Sure, you can't read tone and visual cues (though let's be honest, those of us with some experience know how to work around this with good, clear language). But on the other side of the coin, we all know near-anonymous communication removes a lot of inhibitions. Because of this, you can actually tell a lot about a person by the way they communicate online, that you can't tell face to face.

Second, the article makes it seem as if they think nothing created on a computer can ever provide any satisfaction the way physically doing something can. I think a lot of us here know better than that.

The article goes a tad extreme, so I kinda wrote most of the nitpicks off. If anything, online communication is an extension of expression, but has a different impact on some level that can't quite be expressed normally..

[Cooljerk]

saw the topic title and instantly knew it was going to be a cracked.com link.

That website is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[SmartOne]

This is not condescending: I'm glad some of you are taking some of the points this article makes seriously! (Assuming you read the whole thing.)

If you've read any of the recent unnecessary flames that surround my posts, maybe you could relate...?

[grinvader]

#9. SmartOne.