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Post by Tim on Apr 26, 2020 23:55:17 GMT -5
How would you feel about the early 1980's. That's the world I lived in when I was young.
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Post by Squad 51 on Apr 27, 2020 3:52:11 GMT -5
For me it's more late 1980ies/early90's.
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Post by Tim on Apr 27, 2020 13:17:02 GMT -5
Well, Social Media is here to stay.
If used wisely, it can be a good thing. Especially now.
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 10, 2020 13:07:11 GMT -5
The pandemic is (unintentionally) proving something us Luddites knew all along -- Technology is no substitute for lived experience and human interaction.
Social distancing has forced people to forego all interaction and non-essential travel. No leaving the house except for groceries and no being around anyone who you don't live with.
Technology has been expected to fill the boredom void. Road trips and vacations have been replaced by YouTube, Netflix, and video games. People have been told to cancel their parties and turn to Zoom, Twitter, and Instagram to get their socialization fill.
And, what do you know? People are completely bored and miserable! Turns out that staring at a TV or computer screen is no substitute for physically going outside. And, watching someone behind a phone screen is no substitute for physically being with them. And, talking to "friends" on Twitter is no substitute for talking to RL friends in person.
Social distancing has forced people to put their entire lives online -- the endgame of technology's progression over the last 20 years -- and they're finding out that living in an atomized internet bubble sucks. Only experiencing the world passively through a screen goes against human nature.
Maybe, we shouldn't continue destroying what's left of the physical, offline world, after all.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 10, 2020 13:36:44 GMT -5
I completely agree, Betty. I’m an introverted hermit much of the time and my brother has autism and practically lives at his computer, and even we’re bored and going stir crazy. I know that my state still has a lot of cases but the shutdown isn’t good for mental health even if it necessarily. People weren’t meant to be online all day and dealing with other people on a virtual level, we are a social species who need to interact with others.
Maybe I’m feeling upset because this Sunday is usually the last day for my Sunday school class, the kids all get a certificate signed by Father Joseph saying they completed the course and we have a little party for them. Last year the church had an ice cream truck come by and the kids each got a ticket to so they could choose an ice cream and the kids got me a card with a Starbucks gift card. 😊 I miss my students, I miss actual college classes instead of Zoom and there’s going to be at least four months I’m out of work since all schools are closed in NJ. I know this is necessary, but this really sucks and can’t be good for mental health.
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 10, 2020 15:38:36 GMT -5
I completely agree, Betty. I’m an introverted hermit much of the time and my brother has autism and practically lives at his computer, and even we’re bored and going stir crazy. I know that my state still has a lot of cases but the shutdown isn’t good for mental health even if it necessarily. People weren’t meant to be online all day and dealing with other people on a virtual level, we are a social species who need to interact with others. Maybe I’m feeling upset because this Sunday is usually the last day for my Sunday school class, the kids all get a certificate signed by Father Joseph saying they completed the course and we have a little party for them. Last year the church had an ice cream truck come by and the kids each got a ticket to so they could choose an ice cream and the kids got me a card with a Starbucks gift card. 😊 I miss my students, I miss actual college classes instead of Zoom and there’s going to be at least four months I’m out of work since all schools are closed in NJ. I know this is necessary, but this really sucks and can’t be good for mental health. The core of the problem is that people got thrown into this without any tools to cope. Zero attention has been given to the mental health cost of social distancing/quarantine, and people suffering from mental illness have not been given any resources. Instead, they're just being told to stop whining, think of the "greater good," and go on Zoom. Vulnerable people, in general, aren't getting any kind of lifeline and are simply being treated as "acceptable" collateral damage in the fight against the pandemic. Yes, this was all caused by our shit "president" and GOPee non-leadership. This could've been avoided if we had competent people in charge like the rest of the world. But, that doesn't mean that vulnerable people who never voted for these f*ckers and never asked for this deserve to suffer. They need way more than to just be told to wear a mask, tough it out, and wait for November.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 10, 2020 15:47:44 GMT -5
Plus my brother is big into Twitter and his feed is all Coronavirus and conspiracy theories, he takes stuff literally and tends to believe everything he sees online so he’s convinced he’s going to get sick just being outside. The people in charge seem to think that being online all day is no big deal but humans weren’t meant for this, plus it’s important for him to get out and interact with others. But because of the quarantine I can’t take him anywhere except the liquor store and that doesn’t count😊. But seriously, the people in charge should have thought this through first instead of just forcing it on people
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 10, 2020 16:50:30 GMT -5
Plus my brother is big into Twitter and his feed is all Coronavirus and conspiracy theories, he takes stuff literally and tends to believe everything he sees online so he’s convinced he’s going to get sick just being outside. The people in charge seem to think that being online all day is no big deal but humans weren’t meant for this, plus it’s important for him to get out and interact with others. But because of the quarantine I can’t take him anywhere except the liquor store and that doesn’t count😊. But seriously, the people in charge should have thought this through first instead of just forcing it on people That's another danger of lockdown. When people feel desperate and hopeless and have little else to do but stare at Twitter newsfeeds all day, conspiracy theories are going to spread like WILDFIRE. And, to make matters worse, it's an election year, so expect even more of it than otherwise. There''s a pandemic of fake news happening right alongside the other one.
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Post by Tim on May 10, 2020 17:08:16 GMT -5
I avoid Twitter right now. I pretty much stick to message boards, like this, and YouTube (but just for movies and music, no news).
But I agree, the sooner these lockdowns end, the better. We need to get back to real interactions.
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 10, 2020 19:28:58 GMT -5
I wonder how many people realize that the COVID-driven shift to distance/virtual working will probably lead to yet more American jobs being outsourced? If your boss figures out that your job can be done from home, then they'll probably also figure out that it can be done from India, and there goes your job. And, this thing also has schools wanting to PERMANENTLY move to online learning. This is a disastrous idea that won't do anything but increase the gap between the haves and the have-nots. And, like the above point, it'll probably also lead to outsourcing and lost jobs. Please, do NOT let Zoom take over our reality. Do NOT use this pandemic as an excuse to pack us into technological bubbles.
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Post by Trinity on May 10, 2020 20:58:06 GMT -5
Heard all about Zoom. I hope, this doesn't push people further into using social media and interacting online. It was bad enough before, people live and breath social media, now with e COVID, it might push more people into this bubble world.
I don't bother with Twitter. I actually had a Facebook, but I got rid of mine years ago. A waste of time.
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 10, 2020 22:25:40 GMT -5
Get a load of this glowing article advocating outsourcing written by the actual founder and CEO of Zoom. My fears of what this new "work from home" reality could mean for American jobs aren't unfounded at all! I wonder how many people are going to wake up in 2021 and find out that their job has been shipped off to some underpaid worker bee in India because COVID-19 taught their boss that their job could be done remotely? Heard all about Zoom. I hope, this doesn't push people further into using social media and interacting online. It was bad enough before, people live and breath social media, now with e COVID, it might push more people into this bubble world. I don't bother with Twitter. I actually had a Facebook, but I got rid of mine years ago. A waste of time. I've never used any of those services, and I never will. I absolutely HATE the way they've taken over the internet, invaded people's privacy, spread toxic fake news, and furthered the corporatization of the internet. I'd love to see Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram drop dead.
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Post by Tim on May 10, 2020 23:41:33 GMT -5
And Social Media is where the crackpots live.
Read one Twitter from a guy who said the people who created Covid-19 were the same ones that masterminded 9/11 and were responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy.
Of course, this person never says just who these mysterious people are.
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Post by BettyNewbie on May 11, 2020 1:06:08 GMT -5
And Social Media is where the crackpots live.
Read one Twitter from a guy who said the people who created Covid-19 were the same ones that masterminded 9/11 and were responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy.
Of course, this person never says just who these mysterious people are.
50% of those Twitter accounts are InfoWars viewers. The other 50% are Russian bots. All you have to do is read up on Pizzagate to see the cruel RL consequences conspiracy theories and fake news can have:
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on May 11, 2020 3:38:32 GMT -5
I use Zoom to keep in touch with my work colleagues each week that my manager set up Thursday's 1 pm although I and another employee have had trouble getting on the last couple of times.
I don't do Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat as people here know already but use YouTube to watch video clips, listen to music and post videos also other than going on this message forum and the Cafes one too.
With 24-hour coverage, any news I do catch is on the BBC News channel although BBC 1 has more bulletins throughout the day as well since Coronavirus happened.
Mum and I do miss my sister but we ring the residential home every week and find out how she is and we've phoned my aunt weekly that mum never used to do all the time before.
I use Whatsapp for work mainly but have also kept in touch with my friend each week via video call although that doesn't substitute seeing people RL of course.
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