Look Up, I think its ironic

[Ebildays]

Agreed. This also feels like the typical "it used to be better in my time just because it used to be that way." circular argument that boils down to change being scary to people, and demonizing technology as a result of it, acting like it might absorb us. Basically, the typical old "it used to be better in my day." + "technology will control us!" fear-mongering and nostalgia-goggling.

Well it does absorb some people. When was the last time you were away from your phone or internet for long period of time? Are you lost without your phone or other device. People really don't see how dependant they are on being plugged in all time. People are amazed when I tell them I don't own a cellphone. But I don't like them like them and I don't see the need to have a phone with me that much. I don't hate technology but I find I enjoy being without most of the trappings that come with having a cellphone. As for social media just don't find that all that entertaining and I only use Skype for friends in far off places.

[Deleted]

Well it does absorb some people. When was the last time you were away from your phone or internet for long period of time? Are you lost without your phone or other device. People really don't see how dependant they are on being plugged in all time. People are amazed when I tell them I don't own a cellphone. But I don't like them like them and I don't see the need to have a phone with me that much. I don't hate technology but I find I enjoy being without most of the trappings that come with having a cellphone. As for social media just don't find that all that entertaining and I only use Skype for friends in far off places.

That's totally fine though and if that's what makes you happy, then rock it and you're doing great. That's not for everybody though, and it's not really fair for him to tell everyone to get rid of their phones and start having his type of fun any more than it's fair for me to tell you that you HAVE to get a phone because if you don't no one is going to be able to contact you and you'll die alone.

[Tradewind]

I got the general message after like 15 seconds, but I was distracted by the thought that this dude wrong a poem based on women not looking at him...

maybe nobody likes to be stared at by strangers on the bus?

[Gheld]

That's totally fine though and if that's what makes you happy, then rock it and you're doing great. That's not for everybody though, and it's not really fair for him to tell everyone to get rid of their phones and start having his type of fun any more than it's fair for me to tell you that you HAVE to get a phone because if you don't no one is going to be able to contact you and you'll die alone.

Also again, peoples perceptions of people they don't know is highly biased.

Like some loudmouth obnoxious amateur wanna-be youtube filmmaker might look across at me and a friend having dinner in a restaurant, and we keep stopping our conversation to look at our phones and text.... but we're really texting each other about how obnoxious that hipster across the restaurant is. We're just being as candid as possible, since he might pull out his vintage gun and get all ironic on our ass if he realizes that people don't think he's cool after-all.

- - - Updated - - -

I got the general message after like 15 seconds, but I was distracted by the thought that this dude wrong a poem based on women not looking at him...

maybe nobody likes to be stared at by strangers on the bus?

Late Gen-X, Early Gen-Yers: As progressive as the millennials, but old fashioned enough to know the boomers are talking out their ass half the time.

[Granyala]

when was the last time anyone here actually had a decent chat with a stranger, at a grocery store or well, anywhere in real life?

Why on earth would I talk to a stranger?!
I look at him, if he makes eye contact I smile.

I'd never just .. you know talk to him unless he asks me a question.

Yes I have a smartphone, no I don't run around like the guys in the video. I'm just weary and distrusting of people I do not know.

Am I lonely? Probably. But right now it's a loneliness I deliberately choose.

The video has one point though: Linking a photo is not the same as being there with friends. I think everyone who uses social media responsibly knows that.

Are you lost without your phone or other device.

Yes I would be. Offline information retrieval is such a PITA.

[Deleted]

I purposefully use my phone to avoid interacting with others in public transit, be it reading on my tablet or listening to music on my phone via headphones; Before i did that, no one spoke with each other, no one made eye contact the only interaction was "Excuse me".

I thank the driver when i get off, and that's the limit of my intentional contact with the public on transit; The idea social media and electronics are responsible for that is laughable, it was like this when i was 9, and it's still like this when i'm 18.

[Kilpi]

when was the last time anyone here actually had a decent chat with a stranger, at a grocery store or well, anywhere in real life?
there are indeed extreme examples, but those examples are becoming more and more commonplace...

I don't have any interest in talking with complete strangers in random places. I even try to avoid some people I know when in a grocery store for example. Why would I want to talk about random stupid things with random people? I don't see any benefits.

[Gheld]

Why on earth would I talk to a stranger?!
I look at him, if he makes eye contact I smile.

I'd never just .. you know talk to him unless he asks me a question.

Yes I have a smartphone, no I don't run around like the guys in the video. I'm just weary and distrusting of people I do not know.

Am I lonely? Probably. But right now it's a loneliness I deliberately choose.

The video has one point though: Linking a photo is not the same as being there with friends. I think everyone who uses social media responsibly knows that.

No, but if a friend can't make it to a camping trip or something, the ability to take pictures and instantly upload them for them to view makes the friend who couldn't make it feel included.

Or I like to go on long road trips, I'll take lots of pictures, slap them up on Facebook as I go along and all my friends and family know where I am, and that I'm having a good time. As much as I'd like to take all 40 of my Facebook friends (Yeah, you don't have to put 450 people you barely know on there if you don't want to) to Texas, my car only seats 5.

[Kraenen]

Awesome video, so true!

I hate social media.

Then why are you on this forum?

[Granyala]

No, but if a friend can't make it to a camping trip or something, the ability to take pictures and instantly upload them for them to view makes the friend who couldn't make it feel included.

Very true indeed.
Social media is also really nice for keeping in touch with people half around the world.

[Kalis]

maybe nobody likes to be stared at by strangers on the bus?

I do.

Unless they are some mad old vagrant type, then not so much.

[Tradewind]

I'm gonna write a new song for this "dude," it's called "Girls Don't Like Me."

I'm on the bus,
wearing vans and a fedora.
Girls don't like me,
so I blame social media.

Staring at them,
sitting near them.
On the train or bus,
or getting close at the ATM.

Is it my face?
Is it my hair?
Is it my clothes or my ironic underwear?

Maybe I should just drop my pretence,
and watch this video of some kid peeing on a fence.
Sloths in luggage and Hamster Burritos,
cat videos and clips from tv shows.
Posting comments, links to youtube, status update.
take my waifu out for a dinner date.

Because after all of this,
it is easy to see!
The simple fact is,
that Girls don't like me.

Girls...don't like meee!

[Gheld]

Very true indeed.
Social media is also really nice for keeping in touch with people half around the world.

Yeah. Like my family has long tendrils spanning throughout Canada and Scotland, so I have so many distant relatives that I just don't see any more. So it's really nice to be able to have contact with distant relatives who you otherwise wouldn't talk to until it came time for Aunt ____'s funeral.

One of my close cousins moved to Toronto, which is a 23 hour drive from here, but I know all about how well her and her family is doing out there because of social media. Otherwise she only comes to town a few times a year; so there's less time needed to catch up, more time to spend doing family activities together when she is here.

[Lightwysh]

I agree with the video, I have social media solely for gaming purposes. It's nothing but a platform for attention whores and an enabler for people who cant function in normal society.

[zealo]

Meh, guy have a point in it but the video dragged on for too long, was bored before it even got halfway through.

[OneSent]

Great video! Love the accent. He really touches on the issue of what I would consider 'too much of a good thing'.

You can quite literally see this transition of people who permanently walk around, staring down. Even when these people are in a group of 6 or more, they're looking at their phone. Who could you possible be talking to if all of your friends are surrounding you?

I went to go see a movie this past weekend, and as soon as the credits started to roll, hundreds of little screens lit up the theater; as if these people missed out on 2 hours of texting and needed to catch up immediately!

I often see two people who are obviously on a date, and one of them is usually looking down at their phone while the other stares off into the distance, clearly annoyed. I even had some lady almost walk right into the car because she was looking down while crossing the parking lot.

I pity the children who grow up today; robbed of a normal childhood of playing outdoors or riding a bike. Parents fear for the saftey of their children because the media sells fear like it's going out of style. They'd rather stick an iPad into their child's hand as long as he/she is "safe".

This video is also relevant:

[TZucchini]

I want them to make another video. One where the guy isn't looking at his smart phone, meets the girl, then dies shortly after in a car accident.

See. Smart phones save us from car accidents. Look down.

[Deleted]

I'd like to see a huge backlash against social media sites, and people returning to the "old" way of face to face contact. It's getting out of hand now, and the new generation are being raised on this (4 year olds with smart phones, enough said). I'm so glad I was a child during the 90's, the last decent decade.

People are under a delusion that those 1000 Facebook friends are worth more than 2-3 real friends. It's sad that they call them 'friends' in the first place. They are not, they are random people on the internet that are using you for their own gains.

[DoYouEvenLift]

So every girl that are passing by, could be my GF? Thank god for smartphones then.

[Gheld]

I'd like to see a huge backlash against social media sites, and people returning to the "old" way of face to face contact. It's getting out of hand now, and the new generation are being raised on this (4 year olds with smart phones, enough said). I'm so glad I was a child during the 90's, the last decent decade.

People are under a delusion that those 1000 Facebook friends are worth more than 2-3 real friends. It's sad that they call them 'friends' in the first place. They are not, they are random people on the internet that are using you for their own gains.

All of these posts really sound like they are saying: Nobody wants to talk to ME because of social media. Because quite frankly I use social media but still have plenty of face to face contact with people.

If you're a dick to people every time you see somebody on a smart phone then you're probably not a very pleasant person to be around. Don't blame the social media.