[Closed] Modern Day Life.

Go back a couple of generations

whilst this is undoubtedly true, it's a totally pointless and irrelevant comparison.

whilst this is undoubtedly true, it's a totally pointless and irrelevant comparison.

+1

Why not go back 10 and say well at least you're not being burnt at the stake for being a Christian, or fed to the lions?

So what?

There's a lot of justification for peoples worries, on the otherhand, there's an awful lot of people that like to think they are a victim.

It's all a mixed bag. You can't just say life in the UK is great, get over it.

Point? Are you trying to turn this into a competition?

For the hard of thinking: https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/155/Relative-Privation

trans: a competition is the opposite of my point.

I think one of the main reasons is the disconnect many folk have with the outside world. The only time many folk go outside is to get into their car. That and a lack of exercise. couple this with the impossible expectations given by the TV and media and you have a perfect storm of dissatisfaction, depression and disconnect with reality

On another note then and as I'm 40 and get more and more frustrated with modern day life and social media. Does that mean that I am just being a grumpy bugger because I preferred when people interacted or is this just a phase of middle age?
Additionally - should I worry about my children's addiction to Social media or is it me being over protective because it wasn't part of my life at their age. I personally think, as they know no different and are coping well with it the addiction to technology is OK for them because its become the norm?

Whether the average person is better off these days, or not, I don't think these are happy times.
- Inequality has become worse
- Sense of community has decreased / selfishness has increased
- technology is a dependency rather than a benefit

Both leading to a gap for current populist politics to abuse.

Need a good old war to bring back some perspective, bring communities together and have something real to worry about rather than what someone has posted on Facebook.

Or maybe everyone should try Buddhism.

Society just wants instant gratification, and society can get this. However, the cost isn't usually factored in at the point of gratification. When payment is required, things turn a bit sour.

I am just being a grumpy bugger because I preferred when people interacted

there's been lots of evidence recently that social media specifically has made the lives of some stay-at-home mums much better connected and provided the sort of community experience that some felt they lacked.

There's a lot of justification for peoples worries, on the otherhand, there's an awful lot of people that like to think they are a victim.

+1

we also have very short memories.....was it really better back then? As humans we always tend to have something to 'moan' about, it's the way we're programmed. 🙁

There is a big generational gap at the moment (evident on STW) those that caught the 90/00's property boom, nearly free education etc. and those that came after.
Housing inequality among other things mean those that can do better those that can't will never catch up.

There was a politician locally who had a go at millennials for wasting their cash on smashed avocado for breakfast etc. when they should be saving up all their money to buy a house (incidentally the house that the complainer had significantly increased the value of by doing nothing at all) what is failing is addressing the reasons for this.

there's been lots of evidence recently that [s]social media [/s] STW specifically has made the lives of some [s]stay-at-home mums[/s] bored-at-work dads much better connected and provided the sort of community experience that some felt they lacked.

FTFY

There is a big generational gap at the moment (evident on STW) those that caught the 90/00's property boom, nearly free education etc. and those that came after.
Housing inequality among other things mean those that can do better those that can't will never catch up.

Well, quite. Young, educated people in decent jobs and from secure backgrounds have little prospect of owning a home and will not have enough money in retirement. It's hardly surprising that they're choosing to live for today...

it's hardly surprising that they're choosing to live for today...

......i just hope by the time i'm due to retire euthanasia is a viable/legal option!

....did i take that too far?

......i just hope by the time i'm due to retire euthanasia is a viable/legal option!

......i just hope by the time i'm due to retire euthanasia is a viable/legal option!

it is viable/legal today as long as you are willing to travel.

Objectively we've never had it so good. Just be selective.

If your kids make it to adulthood and can't sit in their BMW 1 series and use the latest iphone to post online about their ability to speak three languages, play a musical instrument and achieve sporting greatness at university then you are made to feel that you've kinda failed as a parent.

Bad:
BMW 1 (a Zoé would be acceptable, a bicycle better)
iPhone (nowt wrong with a WIko or whatever for 150e)
Being a slave to technology

Good:
languages
Playing a musical instrument
A sporting activity (not everyone can be on the winning team)
Using IT wisely (I'm maintaining my English and keeping up with what's "trending" (puking smiley) right now).

Think for yourself, don't be a victim and it's a great world.

I've noticed a lot of posts depicting technology as a dependency or addiction which I suspect isn't actually true at all. The sheer quantity of applications that a smartphone or tablet computer has needs to be remembered. For many people that one device has replaced the telephone, hand written communication, books & magazines, personal music players, maps, camera, hand held video games, the watch, bike computer/pedometer... Now think of all the time that an older person (me very much included at 38) would have spent doing all those different things using different devices.

If your kids make it to adulthood and can't sit in their BMW 1 series and use the latest iphone to post online about their ability to speak three languages, play a musical instrument and achieve sporting greatness at university then you are made to feel that you've kinda failed as a parent.

don’t have the fear of war, rationing, high unemployment and have relative safety

War, I fear it. Trump? Putin? China? Korea?

Rationing - not per se, but feeding an exponential population with high demand for meat is a big problem. Also [url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/25/displaced-people-refugee-nigeria-starvation-death-un-boko-haram ]this kind of thing [/url]in the news right now will only exacerbate mass migration.

High unemployment - automation on a mass scale is on the way.

Relative safety - apart from serious cyber threats and well organised terror organisations.

[url= https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/25/13-crises-we-face-trump-soil-loss-global-collapse ]Etc etc etc[/url]

'Twas ever thus.

I'm sure every generation looks back on previous ones and wonders whether the good back then outweighed the bad and compares that to their present setup.

It's interesting to do it though, and for some it makes them feel better, for others worse. Ultimately life for most of us is a struggle, it's just the problems that manifest themselves change a bit.

I've noticed a lot of posts depicting technology as a dependency or addiction which I suspect isn't actually true at all.

Indeed, there's a circularity to media articles about the "new" technology of the time and how it will ruin society. Go back 150years ago it was the magazine/periodical that had killed conversation, then the radio, then the telly, then computer games, now smart phones...

There's nothing new under the stars.

It all went downhill with powered looms!

Should never have left the primordial soup!

I actually think the 50s where probably (I'm too young to remember) in many ways the happiest of times for many. End of post war austerity, living standards rising, expectations lowish and then expectations exceeded for many.

I have to say facebook is a boon for me. I have friends all over the UK and have reconnected with quite a few of them - and family as well. Its no substitute for real conversation but its better than none.

I actually think the 50s where probably (I'm too young to remember) in many ways the happiest of times for many.

Seem to remember it being mid 70's.
- Technology at a good level but not interfering
- starting to get the hang of gender and race
- equality at it's highest point
- brave clothes, especially menswear!

Now think of all the time that an older person (me very much included at 38) would have spent doing all those different things using different devices.

Interesting thought.

I remember before smartphones and PCs (a child of the 70s) and I didn't have access to the internet until circa 97 by which time I had already passed thirty. I remember having oodles of time to ride my bike, check the newspaper, listen to records/tapes and even use a compass. I was making music on an Atari PC using Cubase and that sucked up loaaaaaads of time. That time is now filled with txts from ppl, filing and culling 1000s of digital pics and also feeding my [s]addiction[/s] desire to follow links...