4 ms·
Quiet and loneliness are synonymous. We've lost nothing.
by sillysaurus3 9y ago
Quiet and loneliness are synonymous. We've lost nothing.
- chrisco255 9y agoNo they're not. If I spend time in quiet contemplation that doesn't mean I'm lonely. Unless it's for an extended period of time with no meaningful connection to another person, it's not loneliness, it's just quiet.
- sillysaurus3 9y agoUnless it's for an extended period of time with no meaningful connection to another person Yes, exactly. The internet has been a cure for this, and we're lucky to be around for it. When books were invented, there was an outcry against the idea. "We'll never have to use our memories!" Yet books have generally been seen as a positive thing. Why should the internet end up any different?
- kornish 9y agoThere's lots of research to answer the question of why the internet is different than books. For one, books take extended periods of concentration to digest while many applications on the internet are being hyperoptimized to give a constant and frequent dopamine drip. I'd recommend perusing The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, which suggests that exposure to rapid and substance-less feedback cycles can actually change brain chemistry in undesirable ways. The book is a bit sensationalist, but is nonetheless a good jumping-off point for exploring the perils of internet addiction.
- throwanem 9y agoSolitude and loneliness appear similar only from the outside. With sufficient experience of both, one learns to recognize the difference.