For the mastodonts from the 60s

[Rob C]

Common sense hasn't a chance against political correctness, simply because common sense is a private conviction whereas political correctness a shrill, public stance where resistence provokes attack few are able or willing to countenance.

Given the spread of so-called social media, where kids are exposed to the alternative reality (I was going to write faux reality, but sadly, it turns into real-life beatings and even suicide) 24/24, there is no escape from the beginning of life.

Recent Sky News reports tell that child psychological problems are today vastly higher than they ever were. Surpise, surprise. Ban all cellphones from school, and in a few years things may revert to a more acceptable level of normal, life anxiety.

[Robert Roaldi]

Common sense hasn't a chance against political correctness, simply because common sense is a private conviction whereas political correctness a shrill, public stance where resistence provokes attack few are able or willing to countenance.

Given the spread of so-called social media, where kids are exposed to the alternative reality (I was going to write faux reality, but sadly, it turns into real-life beatings and even suicide) 24/24, there is no escape from the beginning of life.

Recent Sky News reports tell that child psychological problems are today vastly higher than they ever were. Surpise, surprise. Ban all cellphones from school, and in a few years things may revert to a more acceptable level of normal, life anxiety.

At the risk of going wildly off-topic, I think that explaining away long-term societal trends by too obvious proximate causes like social media or phones alone might miss the larger picture. Some food for thought on this topic in this longish (nearly 2 hour) podcast: https://samharris.org/podcasts/142-addiction-depression-meaningful-life/. To save some of you some time, the person being interviewed is a lefty, so it might be a waste of time for you to listen, since they obviously cannot possibly have anything intelligent to say to you. For others, have a listen, see if any of it rings true.

But further, one thing we did wrong that sent the universe reeling downhill to hell in a handcart was school buses. We were way better off walking uphill 5 miles to school and back, where mom was waiting for us instead of working at some job that she stole from a guy. But all that is beside the real point. Things started to go off the rails when we let in a non-Italian pope, what a mistake that was. It never comes to any good when you screw with history.  (Sorry, just having some fun.)

[Telecaster]

I think "social media" is just the latest in a series of technology-driven *disruptions that people are initially knocked off-kilter by but eventually adjust to. The adjustment period could be anything from fairly short-lived, with less extreme long-term consequences, to drawn out over a long period (decades or more) with major societal upheaval & reorganization as a result.

-Dave-

*Which is to say, tech developments of the sort that bring people into closer and more frequent contact with the opinions & beliefs of other people. This has been periodically freaking us out ever since Gutenberg.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... the person being interviewed is a lefty... they obviously cannot possibly have anything intelligent to say...

You finally said something we can agree on.

[Robert Roaldi]

You finally said something we can agree on.

You're becoming predictable.

[Two23]

So, slavery was ok then?   

Obviously not.  Nearly half a million people of that generation died trying to end it.


Kent in SD

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Obviously not.  Nearly half a million people of that generation died trying to end it.