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On the last few flights I've taken, the NORM is for people (especially younger people) to get in the plane with their headsets on, and keep them on during the whole flight, watching a video the whole time. If my most recent flying seatmate is representative of most people, the video stays on even when sleeping.
Forget about some small talk with your neighbor, which could turn into a real conversation.
And also the norm is now for people to have their shades down when flying, even on daytime flights, even when there's no sun coming in. I guess it's so that everybody's screens (phone, laptop, etc) are easier to see. Nobody is interested in looking out the window anymore?
Actually IN the airport, waiting for the flights, I would say conservatively that 90 to 95% of people are on their phone, or potentially their laptop, the entire time. Sometimes it's eerily quiet in the waiting area, except for the announcements and tv screens.
And now I see many people even wearing headsets and earbuds, even when just out and about, like in stores, walking on the sidewalk, etc.
I was recently in an old age home. The employee checking visitors in was PLAYING A VIDEO GAME on her phone, WHILE checking people in, and (very minimally) talking to the people checking in.
In practically ANY restaurant you to into now, at least in the US, there's a TV program playing on a screen. It's human nature to look at any kind of moving picture, so instead of talking to someone, they stare at the screen. Only fancier restaurants nowadays have no screens.
Okay, so I know this is a lot of complaining.
But I just want to know - are we going to go even FURTHER down this path - continual detachment from other humans, and being constantly plugged into a dopamine hit machine?
Is there much resistance to this? I'm not seeing in IRL, but I did find these articles, when searching for "luddite".
What do you all think? Where are we headed?
50 sats \ 1 reply \ @plebpoet 9h
Though my examples don't look like yours, but rather more like what is expressed here #1255007, I, too, was worried about the lack of resistance in the culture to the disturbing disruption of what has been our shared human experience.
then I got bored of seeking/asking. and I think I became my own answer to the question "where is the resistance?"
there are no rewards to this resistance esp. when you have almost boundless capacity to do anything w/ the same habits you decry - so long as you aim for something. A resistance isn't an aim.
maybe? i don't know if im satisfied with how i put it down
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So...dive deep into the world of screens...but then do something with it? Not quite sure I understood it exactly.
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Yes, this creep towards the inability to relate physically is taking over. As with all high-time preference crap (social media, fiat food etc), this will take time to unlearn.
I'm already seeing coaches and event pop up for authentic relating and socialization which, in the past, would have been considered ridiculous.
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Oh yeah, definitely.
I saw an ad for a "space" in a city I was in recently. It wasn't a gym (although it had some limited weights, etc, it wasn't a coffeeshop (though there was some limited coffee, etc, available), potential co-working space (though also not the focus).
Instead, it was $200 a month for a space where you could attend whatever events and parties they had. It was meant to be a space where you could make friends, I guess.
Do you see this unlearning actually happening? happening? I wonder if these coaches are any good...
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We're detaching ourselves from fellow humans.
Paradoxical in a way, we're connecting with MORE humans, more often, just the interface has changed... meatspace is one-to-few, digital is one-to-many
Not to say quantity = quality
The employee checking visitors in was PLAYING A VIDEO GAME on her phone
Is this the employee unilaterally lowering the bar for interaction, or is it a response to customers being less engaged themselves?
Is it good or bad, more efficient or less efficient, that process has displaced personal touch?
Seems aligned with the universal patterns of expansion/contraction, interaction is centralizing or contracting, until at some point the pendulum swings back the other way
Makes me wonder how airport networking specific lounges would do as a business...
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I guess you're right, we can be relating to more humans now, one-to-many. But I'm doubtful that interactions like that satisfy what I think is a basic human needs - to see and interact with other people.
Alongside the lady checking people in, who was also playing a video game on her phone - it reminds me of what I've seen a couple times recently. And that is - somebody pushing a broom in a public space, but...on their phone at the same time, watching a video. Crazy. Also interesting that this person can keep a job. I guess there's not much competition for jobs like that.
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I use headsets, but when I'm around people, I prefer talking to someone because the whole idea is not to feel lonesome.
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Ground floor: airport lobby. 90–95% of humans glued to glowing rectangles, the rest are exceptions filing, in single file, humbly, slowly like a horizontal escalator.
Middle floors: planes. Headsets on, shades down, everyone staring at individual video skylines. Your neighbor? A pixelated stranger in a concrete canyon about to be stroked by block caving creating sinkholes 100 miles away unless Apache Stronghodl for Oak Flats succeeds. Pace of dopamine hits: 60–100% occupancy, uninterrupted. There is some hope for the occasion; no social media, political theatre children, the yungins…
Upper floors: restaurants and streets. Screens flicker like a blue light special or neon Manhattan windows. Human conversation? Rare penthouse view. Even clerks and gate agents contribute to the skyline of digital obsession while physically harassing you and everyone else for a ticket beyond the threshold, i.e. to board.
Penthouse: the city’s mural in place of bronze statues—numbers obfuscate. Each scroll, tap, and screen-time metric builds the new Manhattan, from single family residences to multi family continuous deformations of what was once a strong and powerful manifold sacred space. It’s impressive, glittering… and mostly empty inside but the soul is on fire.
Moral: skyscrapers of distraction can be architecturally perfect, but the mind of the city still waits for someone to glance out the window for a sunrise . sunset and/or horizon.
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I think I'm guilty of that.
The truth, I'm shy and I don't want to interact with strangers.
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When/if you push yourself to talk, do you find it rewarding?
That's how it is for me.
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I'd say it's been pretty mid, nothing life changing has happened, never made a new friend by talking to strangers.
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It is difficult to know if the person sitting next to you wants to talk and if they do, whether the conversation would be pleasant. They might have Trump derangement syndrome. Easier just to not talk sometimes.
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Nobody wants to have to deal with the reality that China is challenging US global power wealth and hegemony. If you raise the topic you will be immediately branded as a CCP bot. Americans are desperate to avoid reality that their global hegemony is waning.
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123 sats \ 0 replies \ @optimism 12h
My worst year of flying I did 160+ flights, about a third of that 8-10h intercontinental ones. Many other years around 140. For reference, for a working person that means you spend more time in planes than in an actual bed. Here's the counter:
I'm really sorry for all the expectations of people that want to talk to me on a plane, but it's not going to happen. That shutter be shut. Find a way to get through the time on your own because I'm not available for your bullshit.
Be respectful, and shut the fuck up.
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Yes, and things will get worse. Parents routinely shove their babies an iPad in order to keep them quiet
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Some folk like the OP @Signal312 struggle to engage in rational conversations on certain topics even in online forums.
Topics like the challenge China is presenting to US global hegemony.
@Signal312 instead brands anyone who raises this difficult issue as a CCP bot in order to avoid having to consider the facts and issues raised.
Afraid it could turn into a real conversation...
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