this post was submitted on 04 May 2024
737 points (97.2% liked)

Technology

59653 readers
2807 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 24 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Yeah. You're right that we've always been dumb and stupid and would do stupid shit to impress our peer group

But I firmly believe social media has inflated the definition of "peer group" to include "internet followers", which jacks the whole stupidity up to 11.

For example, you're a nineties kid walking through the mall with your friends in your JNKO jeans and your slap-it watch. One of your friends decides he's going to be an idiot by balancing on the railing of the second floor and you all have a good laugh. Edit: If his friends hadn't been there, would he have done it? I doubt it. But now his "friends" don't have to be there, because they're just random followers to give him social media points.

That's sort of what I meant. Its not the we didn't do dumb shit as kids, its that social media credit has motivated people to do dumb shit when they normally wouldn't.

Edit: also, WE grew out of it. Nowadays they are socially and financially incentivized to NOT grow out of that phase.

[–] deathbird@mander.xyz 7 points 6 months ago

Yeah. No one ever gave me AdSense dollars for nearly busting my fucking head.

[–] RyruGrr@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Truth. As an 80s kid / 90s teen, I feel pretty lucky to be alive. I'm grateful for the few times in my life when common sense kicked in, and I said no.

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 months ago

Same. Was thirteen in 89. Graduated in 94. Hit Y2K at 23. Basically peak Clerks/Dazed and Confused generation.

To make matters worse I grew up in a small town where there was nothing better to do THAN do stupid shit with friends.

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Natural selection will find a place to strike.