What the heck is wrong with everyone?

[Ducati]

I have long said that I think that sites like myspace, livejournal, and facebook will lead to the decline of civilization.

Here are my issues...
1. People lose a ton of productivity at work because they are "checking" for comments all day long. Trust me our country's productivity suffers because of this. I see it all day long and I deal with grads just out of college.
2. People do things the wouldnt neccisarily do in real life when they are online. Meet people with bad intentions, say things they wouldnt, cheat on partners because of the easy facilitation. I have personally seen 4 divorces in friends because of this. The number of predators out there I dont even want to think about.
3. People become addicted. The often stop hanging out with REAL people because they dont want to "miss anything" that happens on this blog. People including their spouses, kids and friends.
4. As a result of #3, people develop less social skills and confidence. Then it starts over at #1.

If you have seen the movie Idiocracy, its like that. If you havent watch it and when youre done laughing, think about how real it is...then cry.

So to my point. I was a Resident Assistant at a Dorm in college. I tried to do everything I could to help them. My friend still lives by the college and is in contact with a lot of the people that are still there. Unfortunately, a young woman committed suicide about 3 weeks ago in the Dorm I was an RA in 7 years ago. She hung herself. When her roommate found her, she screamed and ran for help.

Another student heard the scream, and came out of their room. Guess how they helped the girl...

They helped her out by taking a film of the hanging woman on their phone and then uploading it to Youtube...

HOW ON GODS GREEN EARTH DO YOU EVEN THINK TO DO THAT IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS? What is wrong with people?

I hate people sometimes. We are going to undo our existence, and the scary thing is, I dont think its going to be that long. Mason

[mad4maduro]

Thats horrible. and disgusting and heartless.

That said, I agree that it is a sad truth that all of the things you mention are commonplace in today's world. It is also true, however, that tecnology and sites like myspace didn't make any of it happen. People are sick. We are simply more aware of one another's sicknesses due to the convenience and worldwide audience provided by things like the internet.  Much like the recent mess in the news with regard to cheating in sports -- there has been cheating as long as there have been sports to cheat in - but today, due to tecnology, we can catch it easier and then spread the word instantaneously...then feed the fire through the same technology. Frankly, I would rather have a predator get caught by Chris Hansen due to his/her online behavior than have them lurking around the corner in my neighborhood. I say let the technology lure the lazy sickos out so they can be weeded out more easily. As far as work productivity - those are simply immature, unprofessional and non dedicated employees...not victims of livejournal. And I hate to sound so negative, but your friends didn't cheat on their partners because of the internet.

my 2 cents...TAKE THAT!

[macallan2]

I agree with all said here.  Technology is not to blame, people are!  Part of the issue is that there aren't the natural checks and balances (i.e. social norms) with the internet and younger cultures as there used to be.  As the family becomes more and more fragmented over time we're seeing less imprint on young people from their parents/family.  In other words, those social norms I learned from my mom over the years just aren't being learned anymore because we're all too busy to spend time together socially.  These lessons are important people.  Spend time with your kids socially and take every opportunity to imprint your value system.  Now, if the kid chooses to ignore it that's not your fault.  At least you tried right!

My guess is this young person who took the video could've used a few more swift kicks in the ass as a youngster and I'd like to volunteer to be the one to administer the current one.:X

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

Mason, I have been seeing changes all my life. You should see the excerpt I have from a 1953 home economics book (the year I was born). Sections about how a woman should tidy up the house, bring the man his slippers, make sure the children are settled and clean...

When I grew up I would NEVER dream of disrespecting anyone any amount of time older than me, maybe cause I was afraid of repercussions-and there are none today, but by the time I was 17, I noticed the 10 year old kids were brats (one situation involved me and my friend going to a nearby school yard to play some handball and these 12 y/o kids came onto the court and stood their ground and talked back even when we threatened them)...

And it continues to change. Unemployment was pretty low when I was younger, but there were very very few women in the workforce. We essentially doubled our workforce when woman joined. Did we double the jobs? And how about sexual harassment.

And how about the word ass. When did it become acceptable to say this on TV? And because it is acceptable, why do they need to say it constantly? And if ass is acceptable, then why not when followed by the acceptable word "hole"?

Yet the online community provides a space for people to make suggestive comments without repercussions...

 

Like you, I don't know what is going on nor do I know where we are headed. Gas has tripled i my lifetime and I'm only half done (I hope). The population is growing like a virus and our society redefines itself daily. Maybe this is life. To not have this is too sterile.

Just be thankful that 99% of the people you tell that story to will be repulsed by it or worse (like me, I'd have smacked the phone from that kid and crushed it beneath my shoe and happily dealt with the pending lawsuit)

 

[fishhound]

Simply said, people suck.

[lz6]

Cyper world fostered anonymity has certainly not been a good thing.

[Bungalowbill]

manners take a while to catch up with new technology. don't even get me started about cell phones. computing power and networks are huge, double- edged swords. i hope we can learn to adjust using these brains (the same brains our hunter/gathering ancestors had).

other stuff is just nuts... as for filming a hanging student, those kids should get the singapore treatment. fifty lashes each.