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>Things have flipped so that technology overuse is now normative, and the "geeky" thing to do is be moderate, circumspect and sceptical. Hearing this, even ane

>Things have flipped so that technology overuse is now normative, and the "geeky" thing to do is be moderate, circumspect and sceptical. Hearing this, even anecdotally, makes me sigh with relief. What is your impression of their lives? Do they hang out with each other, or with normies, in RL, or just spend a lot of time alone?

nonrandomstring 5y ago
> Do they hang out with each other No. So that's why it's not a "movement" AFAICS, not unless I'm missing something emerging in youth culture. As a "weird kid" in the 80s I was delighted to find a Computer Club and discover there were others. But this is something different. You can't really rally around things you all don't do. Thinking about it now though, I didn't see "geekiness" as an _identity_ at the time. It's like that got imposed ex-post-facto in the late 90s. Seems a few are outdoors-sporty, things like long distance walking, canoeing, mountain biking and stuff. Maybe a bit "health geeky". One guy is really into astronomy and going up mountains to get better telescope views. But this is pure anecdote. I don't really have an archetype in mind. It's like "really into life, but minus the techno-bullshit and control freakery". One person described it as "slow living", but I haven't got a handle on that yet. There's definitely an anti-corporate element too I'd say. > spend a lot of time alone? My guess is that they value their time and attention, and just don't see constant connectivity and "convenience" as that much of a big deal. They're also individualistic and confident, as in not embarrassed to be without a phone, or be the one who does things differently, like holding up a line for an extra 10 seconds by paying cash (and then being the only one who tips the waitress). I definitely see myself as part of that, whatever it is - but being a 50 something computer guy who spends WAY too much time at the keyboard, it's slightly contradictory. Come to think of it, a better angle is "last of the normies" in a world gone mad. I think there's a way to celebrate being relatively tech-free as a kind of traditional normality.

nonrandomstring 5y ago

> Do they hang out with each other No. So that's why it's not a "movement" AFAICS, not unless I'm missing something emerging in youth culture. As a "weird kid" in the 80s I was delighted to find a Computer Club and discover there were others. But this is something different. You can't really rally around things you all don't do. Thinking about it now though, I didn't see "geekiness" as an _identity_ at the time. It's like that got imposed ex-post-facto in the late 90s. Seems a few are outdoors-sporty, things like long distance walking, canoeing, mountain biking and stuff. Maybe a bit "health geeky". One guy is really into astronomy and going up mountains to get better telescope views. But this is pure anecdote. I don't really have an archetype in mind. It's like "really into life, but minus the techno-bullshit and control freakery". One person described it as "slow living", but I haven't got a handle on that yet. There's definitely an anti-corporate element too I'd say. > spend a lot of time alone? My guess is that they value their time and attention, and just don't see constant connectivity and "convenience" as that much of a big deal. They're also individualistic and confident, as in not embarrassed to be without a phone, or be the one who does things differently, like holding up a line for an extra 10 seconds by paying cash (and then being the only one who tips the waitress). I definitely see myself as part of that, whatever it is - but being a 50 something computer guy who spends WAY too much time at the keyboard, it's slightly contradictory. Come to think of it, a better angle is "last of the normies" in a world gone mad. I think there's a way to celebrate being relatively tech-free as a kind of traditional normality.