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Challenges of Society in the Digital Age

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posted on Dec, 18 2017 @ 03:24 PM
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When I was a kid growing up the fax was the most advanced way of communicating. The television had 2 channels and some foreign ones, the newpapers actually contained news previously unknown. The first video game I ever played was the first video game ever(for home entertainment), pong. You had no controller, just a dial. Most fun you can have with 12 pixels, it was awesome.
Thing where a lot simpler back then. Sure, nostalgia and me being a minor then is a factor but life was different. I'm not saying better, just different. You had to be there and even then your experience may differ.

My first real online interaction was with a chat program called mIRC. It was interesting and exciting to talk to random strangers from around the world, but I soon learned that people like to pretend for whatever reason. Mostly innocent sometimes sinister but never truthful.
Another thing I learned about the difference between the digital life and the real world involves poker, texas hold'em to be exact. I used to think I knew everthing there is to learn, which is sort of true because it's easy to learn but difficult to master. So without going too much into the game of poker, it basically boils down to you trying to tell a story about the hand you have using your playchips. Well turns out this is a lot easier behind a screen then it is sitting at a table with other people. The amount of non verbal communication is pretty impressive when focussed on.
Just watch this video with Tom Waits that partly inspired Heath Ledgers Joker, or this one with Tom Delonge discussing ufos with Rogan.

So in this new age of digital information and communication where do we get our digital credibility? There are some many sources offering a wide variety of flavours. Flat earthers are rising in numbers, all thanks to the internet. And if you can't find anything you just start one of your own and pretty soon followers will find you. No longer will you need to learn and understand, you just look it up and accept whatever you find or continue searching untill you do.
I had high hopes for the digital revolution. I mean I wasn't expecting hive mind borg level, but this is the other extreme end of the scale. I'm not sure what the answer is but what should be our finest hour is turning into a soap opera.



posted on Dec, 18 2017 @ 03:35 PM
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a reply to: Jubei42

It's been years since I heard the term mIRC. I remember trying to explain how it worked to a friend and they just couldn't wrap their head around it! Want to know something else, I met up with people from mIRC and never once feared death or kidnapping etc. Those were the good days!



posted on Dec, 18 2017 @ 04:27 PM
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You just gotta go and check out the key points for yourself. I've always favored ATS debate, where over the years always going back and re-double checking the key points of my arguments just to be sure. Couldnt be the same without it.



posted on Dec, 18 2017 @ 06:12 PM
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a reply to: JAGStorm

It's funny, my wife and I were just talking about mIRC this weekend.
Haven't heard a thing about it in over 15 years, then twice in a couple of days lol



posted on Dec, 18 2017 @ 09:30 PM
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a reply to: Jubei42

It's interesting, with access to limitless knowledge comes access to limitless lies and propaganda as well. Credibility used to be a little easier to discern since getting published and having your work in a library was hard, and suggested the information was at least logical if not true.

These days, those barriers are gone. There is no barrier to entry on publishing, and as a result there is no minimum quality standard on anything written. Some sources are still credible, but many are incapable of filtering out the chaff.




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