3 ms·

My gut says we're going to see a bit of a meat space backlash to the world of automation, remoteness, anonymity, and modern conveniences. The hipsters of the mi

My gut says we're going to see a bit of a meat space backlash to the world of automation, remoteness, anonymity, and modern conveniences. The hipsters of the mid-aughts already did to some extent, but I think this will be far more mainstream than even the re-emergence of vinyl records. There's no doubt that AI and such will bring great benefit to our society in many ways, but I think people are already becoming a bit anxious about the cost, especially culturally. It's not new-- it's one step in a long trend of many things becoming more impersonal by design: Buying things from anonymous companies made in anonymous overseas factories delivered by a huge anonymous workforce. "Art" that was "made" by computers. Automated customer "service." Automated "therapy." Transportation hailed by, paid for with, and in many instances used for the entirety of communication with an anonymous contractor. Groceries, delivery food, and anonymously assembled meal kits dropped on your doorstep without the inefficiencies and possible tension of human-to-human interaction. I don't think many people will forget the benefits we reap from modern technology or reject it outright, but I do think many of us will be less enthused to be a cog in our increasingly automated, anonymous, and efficiency-obsessed consumerist machine. I foresee many of us being much more interested in having in-person experiences and interacting with mechanical objects in many parts of our lives. Don't have a crystal ball or anything, but that's my prediction. *Edit: I don't mean to be too negative about the tech. Many effects attributable to tech were because this tech made most of our lives more livable during the pandemic. I just think a lot of people are ready to shed a lot of that. Other random thought: it's quite possible, if not likely, that engaging in this lifestyle shift will be a luxury, at least initially, and involve some significant class tension.

nemo44x 3y ago
I think people want real, tangible things. They want to hold them and feel them and interact with them. They want real relationships in real places doing real things. The virtual world dominates many of our lives from how we interact with people, work with people, and socialize (like this forum). As the virtual world has replaced more and more of our time it makes sense that we crave a physical, tactile space.
- chefandy 3y ago
  While I agree that people generally want these things, not everybody values them equally, and aren't willing or able to expend the same amount of resources and effort to get them. Most people value local stores which sell damn near everything they need and are staffed by their neighbors... but for many, the resource and effort savings afforded by Amazon are more valuable to some extent. I think that these things, to some extent, have become a luxury.
stjohnswarts 3y ago
"My gut says we're going to see a bit of a meat space backlash to the world of automation, remoteness, anonymity, and modern conveniences". don't forget to add surveillance to the list
- chefandy 3y ago
  Honestly, I wish I could. Given, it's anecdotal, but even in my comparatively educated and aware social bubble, anybody who isn't directly involved in tech just glazes over when I start to talk about it privacy and surveillance, government or commercial. They are all against it theoretically, but it's just too abstract for them to practically reason about out of context and doesn't have negative effects on them that they are aware of yet, so it's just too easy to shrug off. I just can't see regular people pushing back against that any time soon.

nemo44x 3y ago

I think people want real, tangible things. They want to hold them and feel them and interact with them. They want real relationships in real places doing real things. The virtual world dominates many of our lives from how we interact with people, work with people, and socialize (like this forum). As the virtual world has replaced more and more of our time it makes sense that we crave a physical, tactile space.

chefandy 3y ago
While I agree that people generally want these things, not everybody values them equally, and aren't willing or able to expend the same amount of resources and effort to get them. Most people value local stores which sell damn near everything they need and are staffed by their neighbors... but for many, the resource and effort savings afforded by Amazon are more valuable to some extent. I think that these things, to some extent, have become a luxury.

stjohnswarts 3y ago

"My gut says we're going to see a bit of a meat space backlash to the world of automation, remoteness, anonymity, and modern conveniences". don't forget to add surveillance to the list

chefandy 3y ago
Honestly, I wish I could. Given, it's anecdotal, but even in my comparatively educated and aware social bubble, anybody who isn't directly involved in tech just glazes over when I start to talk about it privacy and surveillance, government or commercial. They are all against it theoretically, but it's just too abstract for them to practically reason about out of context and doesn't have negative effects on them that they are aware of yet, so it's just too easy to shrug off. I just can't see regular people pushing back against that any time soon.