3 ms·

It's mobile devices, not electronics in general. Social networking was around before widespread mobile computing, e.g. MySpace, but it was a supplement to offli

by mrob 3y ago

It's mobile devices, not electronics in general. Social networking was around before widespread mobile computing, e.g. MySpace, but it was a supplement to offline social interaction, not a replacement. Back then, you had to make a conscious decision to use the computer and log in. Having the device in your pocket at all times drastically changes how it's used.

hot_gril 3y ago
I mean how much time is spent on electronics and away from people overall. Mobile devices increased that a lot, but they aren't the only part. There are way more PC gamers than before, for example. My classmates also used early Facebook more on PCs, maybe because some features didn't work on iPhones (Flash content?). They'd just sit at home on the PC all night. I'd even count remote classrooms/work. In 2020, people didn't need phones to be always-online, they were at home anyway.
- still_grokking 3y ago
  Thirty years earlier people were also "always at home". Watching TV, or playing console games… The big difference was: At least the youth was at home together with others doing so. You went over to your neighbor to watch some TV show for example. What changed quite lately are indeed the always online smartphones. You don't need to go to your neighbor, even if you want to "do something together" (of course online, like everything nowadays). Also people don't even call each other. The default is chat, or very often voice messages. But no real talking. So no, media and electronics aren't the main driver here. It's the always online devices everybody uses everywhere the whole time. Human minds likely aren't constructed to be always connected (or one could argue, actually disconnected) in such a way. It's not primary the quantity, it's the quality of media consumption that significantly changed. Also the media is the first time completely interactive and personalized. Compare to for example TV (which was back than "the devil who destroys the morale of our youth" according to some elder people). You didn't get targeted personalized ads the whole day on your TV… The psychological manipulation that the pre-smartphone media could possibly exercise on individuals was much more constrained compared to what's possible (and actually gets executed) today. Smartphone apps are a great example as they're now mostly constructed to induced addiction (the companies selling ads call it "engagement").
  - bart_spoon 3y ago
    I agree with you, but it goes beyond just smartphones. TV shows were linear, so unless you had an interest in every single show being aired, your viewing was naturally limited to specific times. Video games didn’t use to have online capabilities, nor did they provide endless matchmaking with completely strangers across the world, so if you wanted to play with other people, you had to do it in person. And games didn’t have endless streams of new content being released. What changed is that everything became built around endless streams of content. Smartphones are a key enabler of that, but even legacy media like TV and video games have evolved to become bottomless content pits. Social media feeds never end, video games always have another match, there are always more shows and movies to binge on demand.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    That's why I was saying electronics are the driver. As they've become more advanced, people have spent more time on them and less time socializing. Also, I'm not going to dismiss the "devil who destroys the morale of our youth" accusation cause I'm way too young to remember a time before TV. For all I know, maybe social life was better before it. I used to miss out on visiting my cousins because they were "busy" silently watching a football game for hours every weekend.
andrepd 3y ago
Absolutely. Being "online" changed from being a place you go (your computer) at a certain time (after school/work, a couple hours a day max) to becoming an always-on experience. It's a qualitative change.
- Ekaros 3y ago
  It is both qualitative and quantitative change... From limited time to unlimited time with limited place to unlimited place... From couple of hours with other tasks, to ever present thing you turn in slightest moment of boredom...
spxneo 3y ago
100% and the people who created Facebook, Instagram all know exactly what they were doing. This is why many people hate Mark Zuckerberg and the Instagram founders and they need to be protected at all times by armed guards.
- speff 3y ago
  Every big corp c-suite executive has armed guards. It's not related to the ire they draw, but rather the board weighing the risk of someone taking them hostage vs the cost of the guards.
  - spxneo 3y ago
    but theres so many execs without guards all over the world even bigger than Mark who and what is Mark so afraid of that he needs a platoon of special forces soldiers guarding him?
- hot_gril 3y ago
  People used these platforms willingly. I stick by my 7th grade complaints about iPhones and Facebook, but most people didn't agree and still don't.

by mrob 3y ago

hot_gril 3y ago

I mean how much time is spent on electronics and away from people overall. Mobile devices increased that a lot, but they aren't the only part. There are way more PC gamers than before, for example. My classmates also used early Facebook more on PCs, maybe because some features didn't work on iPhones (Flash content?). They'd just sit at home on the PC all night. I'd even count remote classrooms/work. In 2020, people didn't need phones to be always-online, they were at home anyway.

still_grokking 3y ago
Thirty years earlier people were also "always at home". Watching TV, or playing console games… The big difference was: At least the youth was at home together with others doing so. You went over to your neighbor to watch some TV show for example. What changed quite lately are indeed the always online smartphones. You don't need to go to your neighbor, even if you want to "do something together" (of course online, like everything nowadays). Also people don't even call each other. The default is chat, or very often voice messages. But no real talking. So no, media and electronics aren't the main driver here. It's the always online devices everybody uses everywhere the whole time. Human minds likely aren't constructed to be always connected (or one could argue, actually disconnected) in such a way. It's not primary the quantity, it's the quality of media consumption that significantly changed. Also the media is the first time completely interactive and personalized. Compare to for example TV (which was back than "the devil who destroys the morale of our youth" according to some elder people). You didn't get targeted personalized ads the whole day on your TV… The psychological manipulation that the pre-smartphone media could possibly exercise on individuals was much more constrained compared to what's possible (and actually gets executed) today. Smartphone apps are a great example as they're now mostly constructed to induced addiction (the companies selling ads call it "engagement").
- bart_spoon 3y ago
  I agree with you, but it goes beyond just smartphones. TV shows were linear, so unless you had an interest in every single show being aired, your viewing was naturally limited to specific times. Video games didn’t use to have online capabilities, nor did they provide endless matchmaking with completely strangers across the world, so if you wanted to play with other people, you had to do it in person. And games didn’t have endless streams of new content being released. What changed is that everything became built around endless streams of content. Smartphones are a key enabler of that, but even legacy media like TV and video games have evolved to become bottomless content pits. Social media feeds never end, video games always have another match, there are always more shows and movies to binge on demand.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  That's why I was saying electronics are the driver. As they've become more advanced, people have spent more time on them and less time socializing. Also, I'm not going to dismiss the "devil who destroys the morale of our youth" accusation cause I'm way too young to remember a time before TV. For all I know, maybe social life was better before it. I used to miss out on visiting my cousins because they were "busy" silently watching a football game for hours every weekend.

andrepd 3y ago

Absolutely. Being "online" changed from being a place you go (your computer) at a certain time (after school/work, a couple hours a day max) to becoming an always-on experience. It's a qualitative change.

Ekaros 3y ago
It is both qualitative and quantitative change... From limited time to unlimited time with limited place to unlimited place... From couple of hours with other tasks, to ever present thing you turn in slightest moment of boredom...

spxneo 3y ago

100% and the people who created Facebook, Instagram all know exactly what they were doing. This is why many people hate Mark Zuckerberg and the Instagram founders and they need to be protected at all times by armed guards.

speff 3y ago
Every big corp c-suite executive has armed guards. It's not related to the ire they draw, but rather the board weighing the risk of someone taking them hostage vs the cost of the guards.
- spxneo 3y ago
  but theres so many execs without guards all over the world even bigger than Mark who and what is Mark so afraid of that he needs a platoon of special forces soldiers guarding him?
hot_gril 3y ago
People used these platforms willingly. I stick by my 7th grade complaints about iPhones and Facebook, but most people didn't agree and still don't.