Are Smart Phones and Social Media the biggest exponential threats to the human race?

[C8RKH]

Interesting wee experiment by the BBC. 

Worth a read, as I think it confirms what many of us already knew re the effect it is having on younger generations and on their ability to "operate" in society, and the impact on their mental health and well being.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckmm2nrlem2o

[r3nault]

Yes.

(in answer to your question Andy)

[Bibs]

They're certainly helping raise a generation dependant on them, and that's no good thing.

[exeterjeep]

How about trying to go for a week not on TLF.

[C8RKH]

I regularly do. How about you?

 

[Bibs]

There are 18 people who log into this account, I'm #7 and this is my week. 

[Escape]

I'd say smart phones and social media are just the tools, not the threat itself. I'm sure if they didn't exist, the masses would find some other mind numbing, spirit crushing way to keep busy without doing anything useful. No denying they make it much easier though, meaning less people are able to resist.

@exeterjeep I'll be offline for at least 4 days next weekend. 😉 Going to a metal festival, I don't have a smart phone and I'm not taking my laptop. I'll try to miss you guys, but will probably be too busy headbanging. Or too drunk. 🤘

[Bibs]

I don't think so, we managed just fine before smartphone and socials and didn't spent 10 hours a day online, we spent 10 hours a day outside setting fire to things and getting lost in the woods. The problem is that it's a never ending stream of nothingness with pretty much zero accomplishments other than waylaying FOMO and zero exercise/fresh air/actual socialising. 

[ramjet]

exponential or existential?

[C8RKH]

23 hours ago, ramjet said:

exponential or existential?

Could be.

I was referring to the rise, rise, and rise of, or the proliferation of smart phones and social media, that seems to be growing like a plague, at a massive rate.

This plague seems to take away peoples ability to think for themselves. Their logic. Their self control. Their common sense. Etc.

I genuinely believe that it is one of the biggest threats we face - it has increased lawlessness, selfishness, hate, bullying, etc. It's not been positive, overall, for the human race.

[Chillidoggy]

Ironically, the TLF forum is also social media.

[jep]

TLF is a club, a digital club as opposed to Club Lotus or Historic Lotus Register but still a traditional style of like-minded folk gathering. 

Digital means it can stray into non-Lotus topics a bit too easily. Members can choose to ignore topics they don't wish to see. 

In that sense, I think it quite different to Tik Tok etc...and even Facebook which can steer you towards content that is not related to, say, your chosen Lotus FB page. 

Justin 

[C8RKH]

I agree @jep. 

Not everything that is accessible from the internet is "social media" and TLF, like SELOC, and others are very definitely "clubs" as opposed to social media platforms, which I guess, is what I am referring to when I talk about the threat posed to humanity by "social media".

It's an interesting line, and I guess this topic is an example of what Justin talks about here - "Digital means it can stray into non-Lotus topics" but then if we met, as a club, down the pub, or in the club room, then the topics like this, and others, would invariably be heard in discussions across the room.

[Chillidoggy]

Which then makes it social media, which, granted, has a wide definition.

[Bibs]

7 hours ago, Chillidoggy said:

the TLF forum

😬

[C8RKH]

So good it was named twice - The Lotus Forum Forum.

[Chillidoggy]

Bang to rights!

 

[Bibs]

The the lotus forum forum. Makes my teeth itch! 

That said, I did get a call last week from a lady asking if she had to pay ULEZ! First time and hopefully the last! 

[Escape]

And you answered that gold members were exempt from ULEZ? Followed by your account details? 🤑

[Bibs]

I did give her some info and told her which website to check for compliance/exemption! 

[RobinB5]

You know, every generation over the past 200 years has faced its own technological challenges, especially when it comes to how these changes affect the younger folks. It’s not really about smartphones or social media alone being the biggest threats. Back in the day, people worried about the impact of the printing press, radio, television, and even rock 'n' roll music on young minds. It’s the constant innovation and change that technology brings that keeps society on its toes.

The real deal isn’t just mobile phones but the broader spectrum of technological advancements. They change how we live, work, and interact. Sure, smartphones and social media can have some negative impacts, but they also bring incredible benefits and opportunities.

The real looming threat, though, is artificial intelligence (AI). It's poised to change everything in ways we can't fully predict yet. AI could significantly impact human agency, decision-making, and job markets. Unlike past technological changes, AI has the potential to reshape society on a much deeper level, challenging our very understanding of autonomy and control. So while it’s easy to point fingers at phones and social media, the broader conversation should really be about how we manage and adapt to technological innovation as a whole.

 

(just to make the point... the above was itself generated by ChatGPT.4o from the prompt: "A response to this question: 'Are Smart Phones and Social Media the biggest exponential threats to the human race?' that makes the point that a) every generation in the last 200 years has had to deal with the effect technology has on the young, b) it's not mobile phones per se that are the problem, more technology innovation itself and c) the real threat is the rise of AI and how it might further affect the agency of humans. Make the response sound conversational (not academic) and no longer than about 200 words.")

[Escape]

You have proven your point, I had no clue you didn't write this yourself. I think from now one I'll let my dog have a good sniff before I actually engage in conversation with someone I don't know...

On a more serious note, if we can't make the distinction on here, we wont be able to do so on news channels or whatever. Which proves the point that AI has the potential to change (control) society as we know it. 😔

[Chillidoggy]

3 hours ago, RobinB5 said:

You know, every generation over the past 200 years has faced its own technological challenges, especially when it comes to how these changes affect the younger folks. It’s not really about smartphones or social media alone being the biggest threats. Back in the day, people worried about the impact of the printing press, radio, television, and even rock 'n' roll music on young minds. It’s the constant innovation and change that technology brings that keeps society on its toes.

The real deal isn’t just mobile phones but the broader spectrum of technological advancements. They change how we live, work, and interact. Sure, smartphones and social media can have some negative impacts, but they also bring incredible benefits and opportunities.

The real looming threat, though, is artificial intelligence (AI). It's poised to change everything in ways we can't fully predict yet. AI could significantly impact human agency, decision-making, and job markets. Unlike past technological changes, AI has the potential to reshape society on a much deeper level, challenging our very understanding of autonomy and control. So while it’s easy to point fingers at phones and social media, the broader conversation should really be about how we manage and adapt to technological innovation as a whole.

 

(just to make the point... the above was itself generated by ChatGPT.4o from the prompt: "A response to this question: 'Are Smart Phones and Social Media the biggest exponential threats to the human race?' that makes the point that a) every generation in the last 200 years has had to deal with the effect technology has on the young, b) it's not mobile phones per se that are the problem, more technology innovation itself and c) the real threat is the rise of AI and how it might further affect the agency of humans. Make the response sound conversational (not academic) and no longer than about 200 words.")

 

It clearly wasn't written by anyone in the UK.

[RobinB5]

3 hours ago, Chillidoggy said:

 

It clearly wasn't written by anyone in the UK.

So I asked ChatGPT.4o to give the same answer but as written by someone from the UK. Here it is, with a summary of the differences also provided by GPT...

You know, every generation over the past 200 years has had to grapple with the effects of technology, especially on the younger crowd. It’s not just about smartphones or social media being the biggest threats. If you think back, people were worried about the impact of the printing press, the radio, the telly, and even rock 'n' roll on young minds. It's the constant innovation and change that technology brings that keeps society on edge.

The crux of the matter isn’t really mobile phones but the broader wave of technological advancements. They shape how we live, work, and connect with each other. Sure, smartphones and social media can have their downsides, but they also offer incredible benefits and opportunities.

The real concern, though, is artificial intelligence (AI). It's set to change things in ways we can’t fully predict. AI could have a significant impact on human agency, decision-making, and the job market. Unlike past technological changes, AI has the potential to reshape society on a much deeper level, challenging our very understanding of autonomy and control. So, while it’s easy to blame phones and social media, the broader conversation should really be about how we manage and adapt to technological innovation as a whole.

Original Response

• Language and Tone:
  • Uses "folks" to refer to younger people.
  • Uses "deal" to describe addressing technological challenges.
  • Uses "Back in the day" to refer to the past.
  • Mentioned "rock 'n' roll music" instead of just "rock 'n' roll".
  • Uses "Sure" to start a sentence.
  • Uses "the real deal" to describe the main concern.
  • Uses a more conversational American tone overall.

UK Version

• Language and Tone:
  • Uses "crowd" instead of "folks".
  • Uses "grapple" instead of "deal".
  • Uses "If you think back" instead of "Back in the day".
  • Uses "the telly" instead of "television".
  • Uses "rock 'n' roll" without "music".
  • Uses "The crux of the matter" instead of "The real deal".
  • Uses "concern" instead of "deal".
  • Uses "set to change" instead of "poised to change".
  • Uses "So, while it’s easy to blame" instead of "So while it’s easy to point fingers at".
  • Adopts a more British conversational tone overall.

Specific Differences Highlighted

1. People References:

   • Original: "younger folks"
   • UK: "younger crowd"

2. Dealing with Technology:

   • Original: "deal with the effect"
   • UK: "grapple with the effects"

3. Referring to the Past:

   • Original: "Back in the day"
   • UK: "If you think back"

4. Mention of Television:

   • Original: "television"
   • UK: "the telly"

5. Rock 'n' Roll Mention:

   • Original: "rock 'n' roll music"
   • UK: "rock 'n' roll"

6. Main Concern:

   • Original: "the real deal"
   • UK: "The crux of the matter"

7. Impending Change:

   • Original: "poised to change"
   • UK: "set to change"

8. Blame Phrase:

   • Original: "So while it’s easy to point fingers at"
   • UK: "So, while it’s easy to blame"

These subtle changes help to tailor the response to a more British audience while maintaining the same core message.

[Gjk]

I find overall that that is a bit scary. When I first read the original, it appeared completely plausible to have been written by a human.

And this technology is meant to be the way forward?