The Future. Good or Bad. What do you think?

[Mikes10]

In the late 1970s the science writer and broadcaster James Burke made a Tv series called "Connections" and refers to the 'Technology Trap'.

Even if you just see the first 25 minutes of the first episode it's well worth watching. The series is 40 years old it was scary then

and it's scary now!

 

[ECCOnoob]

I totally agree. In 100 years they will wonder how we coped without technology.

I often hear stories from older relatives about life without central heating and the windows frozen up on the inside. I'm old, but not quite old enough to remember that.

 

Could not agree more. For all the doommongering simple fact is humans will aways adapt to the changing world that surrounds them. We have been doing it for generations.

 

I dont think the shift will take as long as 100 years. Hows this for food for thought....

 

There is now fully grown adults who are post-google. They have never known a world without freely accessible blanket coverage internet.

 

Add onto that, the current teenagers have never known a world without smartphones. The iphone is older than them. To those people talk of pre internet life (what many would still remember like just yesterday) is some horrific ancient world. They would have no comprehention of simple things like phone boxes or using phone books or paper reference material or road maps or even old school sms texting.

 

Give a teen a first gen brick mobile and they would think it was from the 50s not late 90s.

 

Thats how fast the world evolves.

[truman]

I totally agree. In 100 years they will wonder how we coped without technology.

I often hear stories from older relatives about life without central heating and the windows frozen up on the inside. I'm old, but not quite old enough to remember that.

 

I am.... old enough to remember outside toilets freezing up as well...oh yeah..the "good old days"

[alchresearch]

30% is a lot, but we had excellent pensions and services

 

I can't speak about pensions of that time, but excellent services?

 

Services like you could only buy a gas cooker from the approved gas showrooms (I remember it behind Halfords on Fitzalan Square). And had to wait weeks or months for delivery and installation.

 

Same with telephones from the Post Office.

 

And a country which all but shut down on Sundays.

[melthebell]

Im gonna become a modern day Luddite and smash up automated burger bars

[Anna B]

I can't speak about pensions of that time, but excellent services?

 

Services like you could only buy a gas cooker from the approved gas showrooms (I remember it behind Halfords on Fitzalan Square). And had to wait weeks or months for delivery and installation.

 

Same with telephones from the Post Office.

 

And a country which all but shut down on Sundays.

 

That's true.

 

Some things are undoubtedly better, but each comes at a price and it has to be weighed up whether it's worth paying.

[Obelix]

I am.... old enough to remember outside toilets freezing up as well...oh yeah..the "good old days"

 

I do recall my gran making up a pan of brine to go in the loo last thing on cold winter nights. She had an oil lamp in there all night under the cistern to keep that from freezing and to stop the midnight darkness fumble too...

[Guest makapaka]

Could not agree more. For all the doommongering simple fact is humans will aways adapt to the changing world that surrounds them. We have been doing it for generations.

 

I dont think the shift will take as long as 100 years. Hows this for food for thought....

 

There is now fully grown adults who are post-google. They have never known a world without freely accessible blanket coverage internet.

 

Add onto that, the current teenagers have never known a world without smartphones. The iphone is older than them. To those people talk of pre internet life (what many would still remember like just yesterday) is some horrific ancient world. They would have no comprehention of simple things like phone boxes or using phone books or paper reference material or road maps or even old school sms texting.

 

Give a teen a first gen brick mobile and they would think it was from the 50s not late 90s.

 

Thats how fast the world evolves.

 

It's not doom mongering. The internet - and associated social media etc - is and will continue to have a catastrophic effect on society as we know it.

 

I'm far more nervous and scared of this than any nuclear threat etc.

[Robin-H]

It's not doom mongering. The internet - and associated social media etc - is and will continue to have a catastrophic effect on society as we know it.

 

I'm far more nervous and scared of this than any nuclear threat etc.

 

What do you think this catastrophic effect on society will be?

[Guest makapaka]

What do you think this catastrophic effect on society will be?

 

There's loads;

 

I think it is and will continue to erode meaningful human contact.

I think it is and will continue to be used to negatively influence peoples views to shape the interests of other groups / countries.

I think it is and will be used to cause economic and social damage to benefit other groups / countries.

 

As I said I could think of loads but haven't the time. Can you not think of any?