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tl;dr: technology in the late 90s and mid 00s gave power to users to be more social on their own terms, technology in the late 00s took power away from users an
by tzakrajs 8y ago
tl;dr: technology in the late 90s and mid 00s gave power to users to be more social on their own terms, technology in the late 00s took power away from users and gave it to platforms to dictate social interaction with notifications
It appears that this dip in loneliness started as early as the late 90s when internet and cell phone technology was connecting us and enabling us to be more, deliberately, social. Perhaps in the late 90s to mid 00s we found the sweet spot for balance between social technology and loneliness. After the mid 2000s, Facebook became a thing, smart phones became ubiquitous, and user behavior was increasingly driven by non-deliberate means: notifications.
Notifications are making people miserable because its turned social into a fucking chore. You are less likely to have the social engagement you decided upon, and instead to have one generated for you by an algorithm.
- stcredzero 8y agoNotifications are making people miserable because its turned social into a fucking chore. It always was a chore, though, at least for anyone at all introverted. Even in the days before cellphones, I would sigh a sigh of relief when I could put down the phone. It was the same sigh when I closed the door after a visit from a salesperson or a service person. It's the same sigh of relief when I get home from a function at the city club. Not every place you go in public is a place you feel at home to be your real, unguarded self.
- coding123 8y agoI don't know - I kinda see it like the show stranger things. That's how I grew up. We'd bike, walk, or whatever show up to our friends house. Parents didn't have instant communication back then, so the expectancy factor wasn't there. All that mattered was that when the sun was dimming, we'd have to be home for dinner.. Any time after school and before the dimming was our time. Like the goonies. Damn. Damn no really damn, the current generation doesn't fucking have the goonies. That's just so sad.
- scoggs 8y agoI hate to be silly but they really should be and probably are retreating to their homes when dusk comes around to avoid the creepers and such.
- mises 8y ago> Notifications are making people miserable So stay off social media. I do.
- vonseel 8y agoOr disable notifications! My phone has been on silent since 2012, and badge alerts are disabled for nearly everything. I find that I check it enough to see a text if someone needs to reach me.
- iClaudiusX 8y ago| social on their own terms I think that is the key insight. Phone calls and instant messaging before smartphones meant that you had to make a deliberate choice to be available at a given time, and to give that communication most of your attention. When you wanted to stop, you simply logged off. Now there is the expectation that you're always online so nobody wants to be the one to "bother" everyone and interrupt what they're doing. And you're constantly reminded of what you missed out on with the endless feed of everyone else's messages to each other.