The Web

[SimpleCaveman]

Hi Angrboda,

There seems to be a growing awareness of how addictive and deformative some of these technologies are. There’s a very real public health crisis element to this. It’s not too difficult to imagine a future in which smartphones have the same kind of stigma attached to them as cigarettes.

Yes, I agree that there are some who are seeing it this way. Given our culture, I don’t see what the answer is. As has been said, the internet is a tool that provides a lot of benefits. Yet, it seems that even the things that seem to be benefits can have unexpected negative side effects. (He says as he pops his third Reeses peanut butter cup.) It would be unfortunate if it had that kind of stigma.

The individualism that dominates our culture feeds right into the internet. Self-gratification without the need for others (porn, likes, whatever) feeds the addiction and removes us from our humanity. I think Black Mirror had an episode like that.

I see the internet as better and worse than cigarettes. It would be interesting if a stigma got to that level and being on your phone was banned in restaurants. I suppose that’s not a bad thing. My wife and I try to avoid phones in restaurants ourselves, but it’s not easy. Instead, we play versions of Fluxx while we wait. It’s easier to have a conversation if we want and passes the time when we don’t.

I think that the disembodied habitat, in part, makes hate and meanness easier. When we make our own reality, then we are always right. (Doctor Who just had an episode on that.) Maybe greater transparency would be helpful. But that can be trouble, too.

In the end, I think you were right.

I believe Aristotle had the right of it.  All things in moderation.  The rest is codswallop.

But, given our current culture, I think it will be a long hard road to achieve.