3 ms·

I suspect it is worse now than when some of us were kids. Some of us had less exposure to stuff that could mess us up because there was less stuff available.

by z9znz 4y ago

I suspect it is worse now than when some of us were kids. Some of us had less exposure to stuff that could mess us up because there was less stuff available. After all, in my early youth we had only three TV stations. I also see a parallel with HN and developers with impostor syndrome. Before HN, and even before Slashdot, I was a good developer. I wrote some impressive C, C++, and Java code that went into some serious projects. But now, thanks to HN, I know that I'm a below-average developer. Perhaps I'm not, but it sure feels that way because of what I see presented and discussed here. If I had grown up with HN, I might not have done some of the things I did; rather I might have given up and chosen a career which I didn't feel inadequate at. This is how I imagine kids today feel with all the stuff they have access to. I mean heck, you can even go to youtube and see 10 year olds making amazing creations out of just about any material you can think of. How does that feel when you're still trying to cut straight lines on paper?

AlexandrB 4y ago
I think the worst effects of social media are exactly the same as the worst effects of traditional media like TV: unrealistic body images, the veneration of consumption, and "aspirational" content that makes people feel like they're not good enough. Basically the stuff that fuels capitalism.
- z9znz 4y ago
  I think Capitalism is too simple or broad a term. It really encompasses a lot of ideas into a single word, and some of those ideas are natural and admirable while others are generally counterproductive. You could say that someone who performs a dance well and gains positive attention from an audience is expressing capitalism. The idea that putting work plus talent to get appreciation (in monetary or other forms) is not necessarily bad. I think what we currently experience as capitalism is a skewed, min/max version which loses sight of the main value and focuses too much on simple financial return.

by z9znz 4y ago

AlexandrB 4y ago

I think the worst effects of social media are exactly the same as the worst effects of traditional media like TV: unrealistic body images, the veneration of consumption, and "aspirational" content that makes people feel like they're not good enough. Basically the stuff that fuels capitalism.

z9znz 4y ago
I think Capitalism is too simple or broad a term. It really encompasses a lot of ideas into a single word, and some of those ideas are natural and admirable while others are generally counterproductive. You could say that someone who performs a dance well and gains positive attention from an audience is expressing capitalism. The idea that putting work plus talent to get appreciation (in monetary or other forms) is not necessarily bad. I think what we currently experience as capitalism is a skewed, min/max version which loses sight of the main value and focuses too much on simple financial return.