You’re very focused on all the negatives. I think it’s more helpful to focus on the positives and negatives and weigh them both out. It also sounds like you may need some more space from your own computer and television if possible. Most people I know don’t know even a fraction of the memes you’ve mentioned throughout this thread or only have a glancing knowledge of them. Then again, I know a very diverse group and not just people that have their smartphones growing out of the sides of their heads.
I had a friend complain to me about all the repeat commercials he was seeing on TV. I told him that was probably because he was over-watching TV. If you’re seeing a bunch of repeat commercials over and over again, it’s definitely time to shut off your TV and expand your horizons a bit.
Like I said, people are already getting bored and moving on. Many are bored with Facebook and leaving it by the millions every month at this point and many more aren’t signing in very often. The novelty of social networks is wearing off and humans are evolving to apply more moderation in their approach to tech.
For example, I know many people who used Myspace back in the day (including myself) and got bored with it and ditched it. They then moved on to FaceBook and that’s now running its course for many as well. Myspace was enough of a time waster for me back in that day that it informed me to never even set up anything but a semi-anonymous lurker account on Facebook. When friends and family want to get in touch with me, I have email and phone.
I’m not really as optimistic as you portend. I think there’s lots of downsides to aspects of the Internet and I think there’s a lot of value in only using it in moderation. But, then again, you can apply that to almost anything.
I just can't see a system like this being self-perpetuating; it's gotta collapse in on itself sooner or later.Sure, like everything else. Myspace collapsed. Facebook will collapse eventually. Things get built up, people get bored once the novelty wears off, they move on and it dies. It's phases and evolution.
Everything is being filtered through Social MediaNope, not even close. A vast amount of things that happen in this world are completely untouched by social media. I go out on adventures all the time with people and the overwhelming majority of it is never "captured" by social media. Like I said, I think you really need a break from mass media and your computer, etc.
I’ll put it this way, if social media was involved in everything (as you say)… quite a lot of acquaintances I know would be “internet famous” right now and celebrated… or on their way to jail, prison, etc. and/or just wrapped up in public controversy. Hahaha…
So much more goes on outside here in the real world it might shock you. Heh… Social media for the most part is just a tiny sliver of real life and nothing more. That’s probably why so many people that consume too much of it tend to get unhappy/depressed. It’s just a small, blurry facsimile of real life.
The only way to voice a hearable criticism of the Medium is via the Medium itself.Nope, I've heard elderly people complain about it in coffee shops. :)
I don't think too many folks see The Internet as anything but a plusMost people I talk to have concerns about it. Everything from it being an unhealthy time waster if not used in moderation all the way up to worries about privacy issues. Or, just the fact that it's boring compared to getting outdoors into the thick of it and/or having actual social interactions in person.
Sure, there’s people that are unhealthily attached to their computers/smart phones/etc., but many more aren’t and/or went through that phase, got throughly bored from the rut and moved on.
