Is social media detrimental to society? (Rant)

**Murder after Midnight** · 08-01-2014, 06:12 PM

I often wonder if social media and video games and other distractions is taking away from today's society. When i look back at many of the influential people of the last 100 years, the talent level is off the charts, I don't really see many people today making that kind of impact in today's society. A lot of the leader's and geniuses made from 1900-1970.. I see alot of people making smart business moves and getting rich today. However I don't see many "polarizing figures" "trend setters" or "absolute geniuses" on the landscape. I don't see us being able to look back many years from now and proclaim many, if anybody today as someone who really changed the game and had a major impact on society. (Elon musk and steve jobs could be possible exceptions) Do you think maybe that's because of all of the distractions today?

Now I would like to hear your opinions on this.........

***SMWS6TA*** · 08-01-2014, 06:28 PM

I tell my kids that texting has destroyed any vocal communications skills for their generations. Try having a conversation that last more than 20 words or 120 characters....

**0rion** · 08-03-2014, 09:51 PM

i think just the other way when it comes to influential or intelligent people really......it's so common now that people don't get the acclaim they did 100 years ago when the average person was a complete dumbass. The average IQ these days is waayyy more than it was 100 years ago if you don't count Scott's which drops the average.

Think of the innovations made in the last 20 years.....there's been some huge ones but they people that made them go largely un-noticed. Think about when the model A came out if someone would've made it a hybrid and used the brakes to charge the batteries.....that person would have buildings and libraries named after them. These days it's just not that big of a deal. HIV has largely been put under control at least....by who??? I have no idea but they probably deserve at least a little footnote in history. 100 years ago there would be books written about them.

Social media? Yes...it's destroying society but it is what it is. I don't think it's making people dumber though in general. It's just killing what little bit of personality or interpersonal skills people once had.

**5.0THIS** · 08-03-2014, 10:32 PM

Society changes over time. Means of communication change over time as well. I'm sure a lot of people said the same thing when the telephone was first invented. Social media is certainly a problem for some stupid people who don't understand its' risks and limitations. And the only people that it is ruining are those that allow themselves to be ruined. Video games, like social media, are certainly a problem for some people that are obsessed with them, but for most people they are just mindless entertainment

As far as there being polarizing figures out there... They're out there, look harder. People are doing some amazing things these days. When you look beyond politics, and with some perspective on the past, the world is far better off now than it was 100 years ago.

**theorangeguy** · 08-04-2014, 04:09 AM

I'd say the creator of Facebook is a "trend setter"...granted, he had to buy off two other guys to finish creating the company but when it was all said and done he created one of the largest most popular company's in the world.

It is easy to get wrapped up in social networking tho. I like being able to share pictures, video's, etc but you can easily distance yourself from others around you by getting wrapped up in it too much.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 08-04-2014, 04:13 AM

You forgot to add "dumbest" into the description of FB.

**theorangeguy** · 08-04-2014, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

You forgot to add "dumbest" into the description of FB.

at the end of the day the guy practically became a billionaire over night...I do think the founder is an idiot, but he did something right lol

**35th-ANV-SS** · 08-04-2014, 04:59 AM

I wasn't so much talking about him or his invention as much as I was referring to what it has become and how it is used. Don't really know the guy, but I wouldn't mind his money problem lol.

**theorangeguy** · 08-04-2014, 05:01 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

I wasn't so much talking about him or his invention as much as I was referring to what it has become and how it is used. Don't really know the guy, but I wouldn't mind his money problem lol.

he's using it in all the wrong ways now...no doubt about that.

**wileyCoyote** · 08-04-2014, 06:36 AM

...part of my disdain for the "social media" (facebook, texting, etc..) these days, is that it seems to supplant the learning of useful life skills...

**0rion** · 08-04-2014, 08:35 AM

I lasted all of about 6 months on facebook. Got it, tried it out, got 1.6 million dumbass requests about a farm, read way too much ignorant shit about people, and deleted account. Just not my thing. People I hadn't seen in 10-15 years were contacting me. I guess some find that sorta thing good but if I wanted to still be talking to those people I would've stayed in touch all that time. The fact I hadn't see them in 15 years should've told them something.

**theorangeguy** · 08-04-2014, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I lasted all of about 6 months on facebook. Got it, tried it out, got 1.6 million dumbass requests about a farm, read way too much ignorant shit about people, and deleted account. Just not my thing. People I hadn't seen in 10-15 years were contacting me. I guess some find that sorta thing good but if I wanted to still be talking to those people I would've stayed in touch all that time. The fact I hadn't see them in 15 years should've told them something.

my dad tried getting in contact with me on Facebook...missed 25 birthdays and thought he'd just shoot me a message on Facebook...ha!

**67CamaroRSSS** · 08-04-2014, 08:54 AM

1 thing that bothers me about FB is all the unasked political solicitations - ALL FROM THE LEFT!!!!! Say Happy BD to the POTUS: I usually tell him to "FUCK OFF".

**raynor139** · 08-04-2014, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by theorangeguy

Originally Posted by 0rion

I lasted all of about 6 months on facebook. Got it, tried it out, got 1.6 million dumbass requests about a farm, read way too much ignorant shit about people, and deleted account. Just not my thing. People I hadn't seen in 10-15 years were contacting me. I guess some find that sorta thing good but if I wanted to still be talking to those people I would've stayed in touch all that time. The fact I hadn't see them in 15 years should've told them something.

my dad tried getting in contact with me on Facebook...missed 25 birthdays and thought he'd just shoot me a message on Facebook...ha!

My niece and nephews mom will go 2 or 3 years without seeing them at a time but will have current pics of her with them. Gets mad when we call her out to. Last time she photoshopped herself into my nephews birthday pictures. So i left a message on her page saying. Damn I thought you were the drugged out one but I must of been high as shit to not notice you there. That started a nice little argument. I forgot to block my nephew and his response was mom he's right just shut up. They are 16 and 14 and she thinks they won't remember any of this when they are older.

**theorangeguy** · 08-04-2014, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by raynor139

My niece and nephews mom will go 2 or 3 years without seeing them at a time but will have current pics of her with them. Gets mad when we call her out to. Last time she photoshopped herself into my nephews birthday pictures. So i left a message on her page saying. Damn I thought you were the drugged out one but I must of been high as shit to not notice you there. That started a nice little argument. I forgot to block my nephew and his response was mom he's right just shut up. They are 16 and 14 and she thinks they won't remember any of this when they are older.

My dad left about a year after I was born and I didnt see him again until I was 5 which was for about 2-3weeks...fast forward to now and I havent seen him since then. He had his sister and his current wife contacting me on facebook too...I told them all what to do and where to go.

got pretty quiet after that.

I've got an awesome step dad who really is my dad...but my biological father can go jump off a bridge or get hit by a train. Really dont have a preference on which one it is...

**raynor139** · 08-04-2014, 09:29 AM

Hopefully the kids are smart and tell her the same once they are adults.

**0rion** · 08-04-2014, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by raynor139

My niece and nephews mom will go 2 or 3 years without seeing them at a time but will have current pics of her with them. Gets mad when we call her out to. Last time she photoshopped herself into my nephews birthday pictures. So i left a message on her page saying. Damn I thought you were the drugged out one but I must of been high as shit to not notice you there. That started a nice little argument. I forgot to block my nephew and his response was mom he's right just shut up. They are 16 and 14 and she thinks they won't remember any of this when they are older.

we kinda deal with the same things here although not drug related. My mother in law hasn't seen Zach & Chloe ( who are 11 and 8) in over 5 years. Pickle, my youngest, she's never seen. Damn shame really. They have 3-4 substitute grandmas that do a better job than she would've anyhow.

**clovenhooves** · 08-10-2014, 08:25 AM

Ironically I'm thinking of putting a piece of creative writing about this that's linked to music and TV onto Twitter

It's the combination of the first two and short written communications and mindless visuals that I think is stunting people's productivity. I hate Facebook. To be more precise, it's media discouraging thinking and encouraging people to compete purely for attention (instead of meaningful accomplishment) and consequently (per my little writing) people connecting superficially (instead of meaningfully).

**Murder after Midnight** · 08-10-2014, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by clovenhooves

Ironically I'm thinking of putting a piece of creative writing about this that's linked to music and TV onto Twitter

It's the combination of the first two and short written communications and mindless visuals that I think is stunting people's productivity. I hate Facebook. To be more precise, it's media discouraging thinking and encouraging people to compete purely for attention (instead of meaningful accomplishment) and consequently (per my little writing) people connecting superficially (instead of meaningfully).

Sounds good i'm looking forward to it. Make sure you post it here also.........

**clovenhooves** · 08-10-2014, 05:52 PM

If I posted it here, I'd get made fun of because it's based on an unmanly song - and then someone could potentially use it to locate my Twitter account that makes my posts here look normal

But, from a line in it, portable "devices" are fueling the problem.