Those born pre-internet

[LittleAndAlone]

Internet and smartphones are designed to give dopamine hit after dopamine hit. I used to be someone who read for pleasure, and I still would like to think of myself that way and get back to it, but I spend a lot of time scrolling on Reddit. I deleted my Facebook and various Twitter accounts over the years because they were useless time sinks, yet when I get rid of them I just substitute them for something else. There's no question I could better use my time.

All the knowledge of human existence in our pockets. You can do whatever you want but people are eating tide pods and celebrity cult worshipping people who show off the whites of their eyes and their possessions. It's incomprehensible.

 

[Deleted member 39193]

Sometimes you need big government. You have to pay, but in a well functioning democracy you get a good social safety net and education in return. Nowhere is perfect but in Scandinavia they are better organised than here in Europe and Britain .

As someone who has spent a great deal of my life living in or commuting to Norway, I can say that is very much the case. The Scandinavians also consistently come near the top of the world rankings when it comes to personal happiness.

 

[Tenawearer]

Finland has the best education system full stop. Despite high suicide rates the Scandinavians are happy people. Long dark winters have a negative effect on mental health.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Internet and smartphones are designed to give dopamine hit after dopamine hit. I used to be someone who read for pleasure, and I still would like to think of myself that way and get back to it, but I spend a lot of time scrolling on Reddit. I deleted my Facebook and various Twitter accounts over the years because they were useless time sinks, yet when I get rid of them I just substitute them for something else. There's no question I could better use my time.

So, whereas Karl Marx' "Religion is the opiate of the masses" can be understood today as "The internet is the dopamine of the a**es"?

 

[Tenawearer]

Spot on BobbiSue.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

So, whereas Karl Marx' "Religion is the opiate of the masses" can be understood today as "The internet is the dopamine of the a**es"?

I don't understand how scrolling though stupid fake shocked faces and letting them rub their possessions in your face while providing them click revenue to do it again tomorrow provides someone with a dopamine rush. WTF is wrong with people?

 

[Pelusos]

It's actually wild capitalism the system which brings us to division and chaos. What thinkest thou is the objective of a company? I'll tell thee which: making profit.

Thou only needest to look what happens when a public company gets privatized: workers keep losing rights, they get fired massively and prices skyrocket.

Get this message clear in your minds: the government is chosen by the people, so if you keep begging to it for bread, maybe you're responsible and part of those who won't contribute to make a change (democrats and republicans aren't the only existing parties, you know, just as an example).

And a new Soviet Union, as long as it doesn't have Gorbachev, nor Stalin involved, but rather someone in the line of Lenin, would be glorious.

I know political debate is forbidden here, but sorry, I can't stay silent with this kind of statements.

 

[Pelusos]

You can choose your goverment only in capitalism. Democracy and capitalism work together. In communism (Lenin said this, not me) there has to be terror. General name is: dictatury of proletarism.
In know capitalism has many problem but any other way gives much more trouble. Clear communism would work in antient tribes where 100-200 people live together with stone tools, you can live in equlity there because you know everybody as your family member.

 

[Hemix]

You can choose your goverment only in capitalism. Democracy and capitalism work together. In communism (Lenin said this, not me) there has to be terror. General name is: dictatury of proletarism.
In know capitalism has many problem but any other way gives much more trouble. Clear communism would work in antient tribes where 100-200 people live together with stone tools, you can live in equlity there because you know everybody as your family member.

Didn't Karl Mark stated that a new democratic society would emerge? One where workers from all over the world would unite and win the battle of democracy.

In that case, considering almost everybody is a member of the working class, couldn't we consider the possibility that the dictatorship of the proletariat could also be a result of democracy, rather than a deviation from it?

The majority chooses, minorities are still protected as human beings and have their needs covered, but they can't keep exploiting workers nor speculate with their work force.

Btw, I think the population size topic is very interesting and important, and in my opinion, although an international organism should monitorize the rest, power should actually be split in pieces in order to encourage community participation and many more points of view.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Didn't Karl Mark stated that a new democratic society would emerge? One where workers from all over the world would unite and win the battle of democracy.

Well, anyone can dream. And dreaming's free.

 

[LittleAndAlone]

All this prattle about "democracy" like mob rule is some altruistic and noble sacred thing to idolize. Gang rule where state violence against non consenting dissenters is normalized and glorified so long as you find enough people to agree to formally disagree with someone.

If violence is being threatened against you for existing, does it really matter if it's under the direction of a single monarch or half the population+1? Regardless of what systems people use to excuse empowering themselves to wage violence against others, you are not obligated to comply and are morally justified in defending yourself.

And while the balance of power between the oppressor and the oppressed is always moving, the forward march of technology inevitably always re-empowers the oppressed to effortlessly challenge and overwhelm the power monopoly previously enjoyed by the oppressor. One such event was the invention of firearms that made farmers as powerful as kings. The next will be a revolution in AI that allows one to wield the power of many, and all governments and institutions of collective violence that currently rely on power through overbearing numbers, namely all of them, will soon be obsolete.

 

[ShyBoo81]

Speaking here as a young Millenial who grew up as internet and social media were starting to become popular:

I dont think its all that bad. The internet is pretty entertaining to be on, and Im glad its there to get my fix on all the weird interests and hobbies Im into. Alot of young people are more aware of flaws going on in society because of it. And some of us I would say are trying to fix them, or at least consciously avoid contributing to said problems, especially since we're the generation thats going through alot of economic difficulties right now. Plus the younger generation are generally more tolerable of different people other than our own since we've been exposed online to all types of cultures, sexualities, etc. Not saying I speak for everyone my age, but thats the general sentiment

The internet/social media is only as bad as how you misuse it. Yes, it does have its share of toxic users, but they're a small vocal minority that you'll only run into if you purposely go looking for online content that breeds those type of people (cough* looking at you reddit) In real life, you'll almost never run into those people since they're chronically online, and I doubt they ever go outside and put their phone down to socialize in person lol

 

[Hemix]

Well, anyone can dream. And dreaming's free.

It isn't an impossible dream, time and collaboration are the price to make them a reality. As long as I try my best to cooperate, I'll live and die happy with myself.

All this prattle about "democracy" like mob rule is some altruistic and noble sacred thing to idolize. Gang rule where state violence against non consenting dissenters is normalized and glorified so long as you find enough people to agree to formally disagree with someone.

If violence is being threatened against you for existing, does it really matter if it's under the direction of a single monarch or half the population+1? Regardless of what systems people use to excuse empowering themselves to wage violence against others, you are not obligated to comply and are morally justified in defending yourself.

And while the balance of power between the oppressor and the oppressed is always moving, the forward march of technology inevitably always re-empowers the oppressed to effortlessly match and overwhelm the power previously enjoyed by the oppressor. One such event was the invention of firearms that made farmers as powerful as kings. The next will be a revolution in AI that allows one to wield the power of many, and all governments and institutions of collective violence that currently rely on power through overbearing numbers, namely all of them, will soon be obsolete.

It sounds like Matrix to me

 

[Lilschoolfox]

Observing people full of themselves with inflated egos and finger waving and chicken necking at each other to assert dominance. Wasting every dime they don't have on gaudy nonsense to convince random strangers that they have more money than they do. These people out breed everyone else. Sex is the only thing they are good at.

From Saturn V and SR71 to eating tide pods and flexing TVs in car rims in 2 or 3 generations. Outlook for the future of humanity is poor.

Normal people don't understand us? I dont understand normal people.

Some of us have no one in rl, things keep me going

 

[Lilschoolfox]

Back before the Internet, there was drawing pictures on paper.
Coloring pictures in coloring books.
Lots of pretend toy gun play in the backyard or in the woods, either patriotic americans versus evil nazis/communists or cowboys and indians.
Playing in the dirt with steel construction vehicles and trucks.
Etc.
Lots of imagination...

but less cars safer unless u where gay, spcil needs or black now today i can marry a black man its better world