This video really spoke to me. I've had these sorts of views for quite some time now but this guy does a phenomenal job at putting it down into poetry.

I ask you this, has the advancement of social technologies progressed or hurt our idea of humanity? Are we more connected now thanks to the internet and social networks, or more disconnected due to our disregard of the physical world around us?

He's describing people who literally shut out the world around them and surround themselves with technology at the direct expense of their social lives. Trying to extrapolate that very specific and extreme situation as the new human condition is a ridiculous stretch that I can't even begin to take seriously. Even as a poetic observation I was cringing at the blatant stereotyping throughout that entire video.

It's one thing to discuss the effects technology and social media have had on society, but this guy is ignoring every single benefit these things have had so he can hyperfocus on the potential negative side-effects and acting like they're evident in the vast majority of people who are exposed to them. It doesn't take much to realize that's not the case.

I'd say social media and technology has given us the means to connect with people in new ways. If someone gets social gratification from staying home and talking to people online and they're perfectly content with that, then the only problem that I can see is that other people are forcing their expectations on people based on how they think social interaction should be carried out.

I think you're taking it personally, exilement. It's a video, not a dick, don't take it so hard.

I'm joking, but seriously, I got something different from this video. The "Self-Worth" thing really spoke to me, because it's not an active addiction, but rather a passive one. I mean, I'm a college student so this shit's much more in my face, but the guy has a point. People feel like they need to broadcast what they do and tell people what they're doing rather than just do it.

I saw this as kind of a dystopian 2000AD type of thing, where this shit's pulled to the next level and we're about to step into it. It's more of a warning of what could be, and how easily it could be already.

But you're completely right on social interactment, exilement. If people would rather stay in all day and that makes them happy, who gives a shit?

My thing is that I'm tired of people feeling like they need to get validation from strangers online when there's people right next to them that'll do it for less.

I really wasn't taking it personally, I don't know where that came from. I'm expressing a strong opinion, it's not like I'm pissed off or something.

I really don't feel a need to broadcast what I do or tell people what I'm doing. I'm 23, I have a facebook, but I don't think I've posted a picture or updated my status once in the last two or three years. I realize I'm in the minority there and not representative of society as a whole, but I seriously doubt the majority of people are replacing their social lives with technology to the degree where we're on the brink of dystopia.

That and even if we were, I feel like most of this is just the usual generational whining about things that are new. Things are constantly changing and people don't like change, but in a few decades this will all be the new normal and there will be hordes of people resisting whatever new technology is changing society at that time. The only arguments I see against cell phones and social media are these sweeping generalizations with absolutely no consideration for the good they've done for society.

You seem to be accepting his statements as extremes as if he's claiming that cell phones and social networks have destroyed us and we must rid the world of these things in order to finally become one with each other. I feel you're taking the video too literally.

If you pay close attention to the visuals that play out in the video along with what he is saying, you get a better understanding of what's trying to be inferred. This isn't all about the guy who sits inside on the computer all day and itches for a thumbs up on something he did. This is about how there are times where even if you're with a loved one, close friend, or new stranger, you have that craving and/or need to whip out your phone and check to see the time, weather, recent Snapchat or Facebook post, or if someone else who is not even there with you is trying to contact you. There have been numerous upon numerous amounts of times where I have found myself out with friends, whether it be watching a movie together or cliff jumping, and I would see that they were constantly updating themselves with their phones, attempting to connect with things not even there.

This is even without bringing up that while it is a believed idea that social networks and technologies are actually connecting us and doing good helping us establish things with those we would not have before-hand, in reality the personality you come across to someone new online or someone you already know well over the phone, does in no way shape their actual personality or character to you. I mentioned it a few days ago in the Chat Thread but truly and honestly I've been on the forums for a little over seven years now, you even longer, Exilement, and I have seen all the differing opinions and activities throughout the forums as time has gone by. And to this day, there is not one person on here I could confirm I would actually be even somewhat decent friends with. Because this post and yours and everyone else's on here does not do justice on who you, I, or they really are. And this is ALSO not mentioning the idea that people will connect over phones and social networks, but when the time comes for actually being in the physical presence of one another, it's all too normal for it either never happening, or ending up not going as well as expected. A connection you build with someone over the internet cannot create the same relationship as a connection in person can do.

As Cook mentioned, people have all too much of a tendency to share what they're doing with the rest of the world in order to make themselves out to be more interesting to others. If you're out on a great vacation enjoying the mountains or beaches, people now spend a lot of their time taking pictures, videos, or texting. They don't turn off the phone and ignore other things in order to enjoy the moment they are in. I know it's possible to enjoy as well as have your phone on you, but if you can't even be away from your phone for just a portion of your day, something almost everyone we know is guilty of, it's a sign you can't let go of the idea of being contacted from outsiders.

It connects us, but not in the way being in each other's physical presence does. But it's easier. And that's why we do it. It's easier to message someone you think is cute on Facebook "Hey:)", rather than actually approach them say in school or something. And that's why there's the idea of us being the "lazy" generation. You can accredit this as more "generational whining" as much as you'd like, but the fact of the matter is these things are existent and they subconsciously encourage us to substitute actual physical interaction with the blue light rays of a screen. When I was younger and first joined these forums, I came here a lot. I posted a lot. And I had much more desire to get approval by my Stickpage peers. Now typing that, seven years later, I cringe. I find absolutely no interest in trying to gain anyone's approval here, nor do I care to post regularly or stay active. At this point I do it out of habit or because they are some things you guys say that actually do make me laugh or think. But younger, not understanding the true nature of communication just quite yet, I used these forums as my social outlet. And felt that it was enough for me to not really have much of a need to go outside and play with my friends.

It's all too often I see my younger sister on her little iPhone, playing on an app, and there are some kids actually outside playing. When we ask her about going out and playing, she simply responds with a disinterested "Nah." She's 11. Are you fucking kidding me? Blame this on the person, blame it on the parents, blame it on the expanding media sense of culturally expecting young children to be well aware of normal things to do when growing up such as make-up, texting, and sex. You can pin the blame on any of those. But the fact of the matter is that regardless where the blame is, the ability to do is what sparks the problem. The mentality of thinking it's okay, normal, and a fine substitute and nothing to make a big deal about, is what's making it the problem.

I'd say, answering Sacred's questions on his first post, that the technological progress can't be unilaterally seen as negative or positive, since it brought together what you could define "good and bad things"

Technologic is a means: it can be as good as the new medical procedures around and as bad as the current most dangerous bomb. It's not like technologic is the cause of what people consider a progress or a digress of ideas like humanity and such, but it's true it does influence their developement. However, that's the point: it influences the developement. To do such, it means that there's already something going around so that it can be influenced

When I saw the video, I noticed that he reported points with which I too agree in a certain way, but from what I understood he tries to give as an answer to his observations (or better, to put a blame on) the idea that technologic makes you like "that". And by "that" he means antisocial, someone who prefers to contact someone else without having a "physical" relationship with them or those around him/her or seeks approvation from a "mass" for the smallest things he does or sees around by using technologic

I can't disagree that there are people that act in that way, since I've seen them too. But I can disagree with the opinion that it is mainly because technologic makes us do so. The way I see it is more that technologic gives us the possibility to do so, without tampering with who we are and what we do. If many people (actually I don't how many) act in this way I guess it is more because of what someone could allocate on a social/cultural level than on a technologic one (with this I don't mean technologic is completely not pertinent to the debate)

If the point of the thread was instead to discuss about this kind of behaviour of the people and not its relationship with the technologic factor, then sorry for having misunderstood

I didn't read any other posts except OPs initial just as a FYI before my response which is this : "Social Technologies" is literally a neutral thing, the fact remains that is has progressed and everyday new things come out, which is good. However, the problem with todays generation is the excessiveness around them. We as a species cant seem to understand (and not just in this but a lot of things) that too much of something is a bad thing. So the problem is not the technology but us, we choose to "get on facebook every minute to check our messages likes and whatever" when it shouldn't be like that. If someone would want to correct this(as a permanent solution) it would need to come from childhood; Just being raised not to let things consume your life. Your not gonna kill weeds by just cutting them, you gotta pull them from their roots so to say.

Quote from silentsh00t

Your not gonna kill weeds by just cutting them, you gotta pull them from their roots so to say.

You know, I very much respect that statement. You could be hitting the nail on the head.