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I guess I see what you mean, and I agree that the world (especially regarding work) has changed / is changing a lot because of the internet. I also believe that

I guess I see what you mean, and I agree that the world (especially regarding work) has changed / is changing a lot because of the internet. I also believe that the traditional model of working the same job for 40 years and then retiring is pretty much dead for current and future generations. That said, I don't quite understand how the internet supplies one with the type of enjoyment s/he would get from retirement. Retirement, in the traditional sense, means having some kind of freedom from financial burdens, for many, the ability to travel the world and see things, and time to do other things besides work. The internet provides many kinds of information and entertainment, but I would never say that it's a substitute for traditional retirement. If you're stuck working a crappy job flipping burgers and spending the rest of your time doing things online, there's nothing wrong with that, but you're going to have to go a long way to convince me that this is a viable alternative to being free from work, able to travel where I want, etc. I spent high school and college playing video games as well, and I've spent a lot of time online in my life (we got the internet back ~1996), but I see the internet as more of another thing among many things to do, and not really as the only thing there is to do. At the risk of sounding like an old man (I'm 31), I would say, don't underestimate the value of real-world experiences. Watching a YouTube video of a concert, for example, is nothing compared to being there... and even with all the crazy VR tech that will be here in the near future (or even now), we're still a long way away from replacing real experiences with virtual ones. I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't be content with how things are though. If you like to spend time online doing things, and that's all you want to do, then by all means - have at it. Just adding my own two cents worth here. :)

citricsquid 14y ago
Retirement is a 40 year commitment to doing something you don't want to do (working) so that at the end of it you can have 20 years you do enjoy. The internet isn't an alternative to retirement, but it changes the 40 year investment from "why not?" (for my parents the alternative was sitting in their bedrooms staring at a wall) to "why?" (for me I could spend 18 hours a day browsing the internet and never be bored, it's what I do anyway but I'm paid for it). > Watching a YouTube video of a concert, for example, is nothing compared to being there... and even with all the crazy VR tech that will be here in the near future (or even now) Definitely, but is being there worth spending your life doing a job you hate when you could not do that job and get the same thing (the concert) but with a not as great experience (via Youtube, not in real life)?
- FredFredrickson 14y ago
  Well, like I said, I agree with you, in that I think that the traditional form of work / retirement is out-dated and wrong, at least for me. Life is too short to waste it doing something you dislike, only to try to carve out some small enjoyment at the end, when you might not be physically able to do much (or you might not be around at all!). As for the rest, I don't think that you are required to work crummy jobs just so you can go out and have experiences in person. And I don't think that personal experiences are all life is about either. I just think it's important to remember that for all the great things the internet provides us, it is no more a replacement for experiences than television is. It's just one way, among many, to do things. And not the only way.

citricsquid 14y ago

Retirement is a 40 year commitment to doing something you don't want to do (working) so that at the end of it you can have 20 years you do enjoy. The internet isn't an alternative to retirement, but it changes the 40 year investment from "why not?" (for my parents the alternative was sitting in their bedrooms staring at a wall) to "why?" (for me I could spend 18 hours a day browsing the internet and never be bored, it's what I do anyway but I'm paid for it). > Watching a YouTube video of a concert, for example, is nothing compared to being there... and even with all the crazy VR tech that will be here in the near future (or even now) Definitely, but is being there worth spending your life doing a job you hate when you could not do that job and get the same thing (the concert) but with a not as great experience (via Youtube, not in real life)?

FredFredrickson 14y ago
Well, like I said, I agree with you, in that I think that the traditional form of work / retirement is out-dated and wrong, at least for me. Life is too short to waste it doing something you dislike, only to try to carve out some small enjoyment at the end, when you might not be physically able to do much (or you might not be around at all!). As for the rest, I don't think that you are required to work crummy jobs just so you can go out and have experiences in person. And I don't think that personal experiences are all life is about either. I just think it's important to remember that for all the great things the internet provides us, it is no more a replacement for experiences than television is. It's just one way, among many, to do things. And not the only way.