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> That is a very understated way to describe one of the single biggest upheavals in life and culture in the history of Western civilisation. Come now. Black D

by gwd 5y ago

> That is a very understated way to describe one of the single biggest upheavals in life and culture in the history of Western civilisation. Come now. Black Death? The Depression? Two World Wars? And your main complaint is that your kids are having too much screen time? I mean, don't get me wrong: in-person interaction is critical, and having it replaced by screen time is certainly detrimental. But not nearly as detrimental as having to sleep in bomb shelters every night, or killing 50% of the population.

ya_throw 5y ago
You've made my point - the overall outcome post-Covid is comparable to a handful of other singular events in our history. I strongly believe that the ramifications of what we have done will take years to play out, but I accept that is just my opinion. My kids are not having too much screen time. My complaint is that Covid restrictions have made the already-tough job of being an accountable, responsible parent almost impossible. Screen time is just the tip of the iceberg. You talk about sleeping in bomb shelters - how many kids have been told they now carry a disease that could kill if they get too close to someone, and what will that do to their mental and social development? How many parents now believe this justifies what would previously be called child abuse? Many of the ones I know, that's for sure. At one time, it was considered brave to hug a HIV-positive person (and when the risks were unknown). Now, we selfishly impose social restrictions on those closest to us, to reduce an already-tiny level of personal risk.
- gwd 5y ago
  In my editing I deleted the phrases "doesn't even register in comparison" and "I could go on". "Western Civilization" is littered with plagues and pandemics, wars, revolutions, and economic shocks which had far larger impact on people than COVID has. You're comparing having buildings in your town blown up, your friends and relatives and parents killed, your father sent across the ocean to be shot at, to be told to social distance. Your comment reeks of entitlement and privilege.
  - ya_throw 5y ago
    >You're comparing having buildings in your town blown up.... to be told to social distance I very specifically didn't. I compared the overall societal outcome, to those other singular events. >Your comment reeks of entitlement and privilege. Yours reeks of poor reading comprehension and sweeping assumptions, as well as an inability to comprehend the scale of the different experiences different people have had under Covid restrictions. In my previous comment, you'll note that most of my concerns are for others, and for the society I live in as a whole. I don't know why I bother, as once again I am branded "selfish", "entitled", etc etc. In fact, due in part to the choices I and my close family have made over the past two years, it looks like we are going to do just fine. I absolutely cannot say the same for some of those I know. A close friend who recently had their first child has essentially had a mental health breakdown (I suspect, due to a mix of pre-existing inclinations, and the stress of being a first time parent under Covid restrictions), and due to the state they are now in, are refusing any external help at all. The sheer number of stories like this will become more widely known in due course, and defending lockdown-style policies will become less and less palatable.
    - SantalBlush 5y ago
      Again, you appear to be blaming policy and models entirely for these problems, as if the virus doesn't even exist in your mind. So yeah, it does look a bit like the gripes of a privileged person.
      - ya_throw 5y ago
        As I said in another reply to you, the subject of discussion here is statistics and modelling, and it is very relevant because so many restrictions and new laws have been justified using modelled outcomes. >as if the virus doesn't even exist in your mind I suppose you'd go on to say I've "done my own research on Facebook", I'm an anti-vaxxer, etc etc. The virus is real. Our response has been vastly overblown and will continue to have have disproportionally massive side-effects (in my opinion). Those side-effects will mostly hurt others I care about (as I have described in all of my comments). Strange that complaining at all about the effects of restrictions, even when it is mostly about others or wide-reaching societal problems, makes me "selfish" or "privileged".

by gwd 5y ago

ya_throw 5y ago

You've made my point - the overall outcome post-Covid is comparable to a handful of other singular events in our history. I strongly believe that the ramifications of what we have done will take years to play out, but I accept that is just my opinion. My kids are not having too much screen time. My complaint is that Covid restrictions have made the already-tough job of being an accountable, responsible parent almost impossible. Screen time is just the tip of the iceberg. You talk about sleeping in bomb shelters - how many kids have been told they now carry a disease that could kill if they get too close to someone, and what will that do to their mental and social development? How many parents now believe this justifies what would previously be called child abuse? Many of the ones I know, that's for sure. At one time, it was considered brave to hug a HIV-positive person (and when the risks were unknown). Now, we selfishly impose social restrictions on those closest to us, to reduce an already-tiny level of personal risk.

gwd 5y ago
In my editing I deleted the phrases "doesn't even register in comparison" and "I could go on". "Western Civilization" is littered with plagues and pandemics, wars, revolutions, and economic shocks which had far larger impact on people than COVID has. You're comparing having buildings in your town blown up, your friends and relatives and parents killed, your father sent across the ocean to be shot at, to be told to social distance. Your comment reeks of entitlement and privilege.
- ya_throw 5y ago
  >You're comparing having buildings in your town blown up.... to be told to social distance I very specifically didn't. I compared the overall societal outcome, to those other singular events. >Your comment reeks of entitlement and privilege. Yours reeks of poor reading comprehension and sweeping assumptions, as well as an inability to comprehend the scale of the different experiences different people have had under Covid restrictions. In my previous comment, you'll note that most of my concerns are for others, and for the society I live in as a whole. I don't know why I bother, as once again I am branded "selfish", "entitled", etc etc. In fact, due in part to the choices I and my close family have made over the past two years, it looks like we are going to do just fine. I absolutely cannot say the same for some of those I know. A close friend who recently had their first child has essentially had a mental health breakdown (I suspect, due to a mix of pre-existing inclinations, and the stress of being a first time parent under Covid restrictions), and due to the state they are now in, are refusing any external help at all. The sheer number of stories like this will become more widely known in due course, and defending lockdown-style policies will become less and less palatable.
  - SantalBlush 5y ago
    Again, you appear to be blaming policy and models entirely for these problems, as if the virus doesn't even exist in your mind. So yeah, it does look a bit like the gripes of a privileged person.
    - ya_throw 5y ago
      As I said in another reply to you, the subject of discussion here is statistics and modelling, and it is very relevant because so many restrictions and new laws have been justified using modelled outcomes. >as if the virus doesn't even exist in your mind I suppose you'd go on to say I've "done my own research on Facebook", I'm an anti-vaxxer, etc etc. The virus is real. Our response has been vastly overblown and will continue to have have disproportionally massive side-effects (in my opinion). Those side-effects will mostly hurt others I care about (as I have described in all of my comments). Strange that complaining at all about the effects of restrictions, even when it is mostly about others or wide-reaching societal problems, makes me "selfish" or "privileged".