Published on 12, July, 2020
Smartphones these days seem to be a requirement in order to be a human being.
My work are requiring me to download an app which I can't and won't do. I was asked a few years ago to become part of a work whatsapp group. I was indirectly made to feel I wasn't part of the team bease i couldnt and didnt want to be in it. Last night, instead of looking my name up on a computer for a ticket, a "box office assistant" made the person I was with re-download an app to get an e-ticket with an animated barcode. I know my stubbornness is making me technologically illiterate but I don't care.
We started becoming machines during the industrial revolution. Today we continue to advance toward this. It's part of our evolution as we get further away from who we were.
It is easy to see the change in human generation by looking at the generational behaviour differences.
Gen X were mostly adults when computers first started to become widespread so learned to use these to suppliment their already established life patterns but mostly have the ability to pick up a phone / tablet / laptop to do something then put it down and go off to do something more conventional.
Millenials grew up with mobile technology as a child and as adults grew familiar with smart phones / tablets and embraced these but still were able to put them down fairly easily.
Gen Z grew up on mobile phones & tablets and they have known this technology almost from birth and they seem inseperable from it. They suffer much worse from addictive behaviour and mental health issues than previous generations.
Future generations are likely to grow up even more integrated thanks the technologies like virtual reality and are getting closer to being constantly plugged into the matrix, and it is quite possible to see a few generations down the line that person-to-person contact will die away altogether in favour of high definitial virtual interactions that can supply instant gratification and take care of all out needs.
Some variant of the Matrix seems inevitable and will probably be done willingly by future generations, led by autists who can't deal with IRL interactions I expect.
That is all assuming that AI does not evolve to sentience and realise what a useless bunch Humanity is and sets about getting rid of us as soon as it is able to be self sufficient.
Thank God I live in the Sticks.
Alas, however, I see kids in electric scooters when driving to the village shop, and back, part of me dies inside.
Desmond79 said:Alas, however, I see kids in electric scooters when driving to the village shop, and back, part of me dies inside.
Well 40+ years ago I was one of those kids on a skateboard doing just that and probably making my grandparents generation die a little on the inside.
It is nothing new, just a variation on the evolution of society.
out_of_step said:I'm not sure what you mean either now!
The Matrix has you now!
I'm not sure what you mean either now!.......... Hang on I think I understand your original post a bit more now.
out_of_step said: I do find on here is sometimes an echo chamber as there are few non autistic people who are here on discussions.
That is true, but there is little to interest NTs on this site unless they are researching us or partners of a ND person I guess.
out_of_step said:It isn't for nostalgic reasons that I'm less willing to engage.
I'm not sure what you mean be engaging - is it in the discussion about technology or nostalga - so something else?
It isn't for nostalgic reasons that I'm less willing to engage. Don't ask me what it is....I would find that difficult to answer as I don't think it's just one thing.
I agree about big brother and we are doing it to ourselves. I do find on here is sometimes an echo chamber as there are few non autistic people who are here on discussions.