I Used to Be a Human Being • Hacker News Board

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#81

Post by sliverstorm » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 5:54 PM UTC

marmot777 wrote: post #61

simonbarker87 wrote: post #8

I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…

That's true in the same sense that soap has become a tool of OCD people. I don't even install games and never have so I don't know what I'm missing. I also turn off notifications, too. That's a must for all but a critical communication channel.

I have been going around and around on notifications. If sound is enabled, my phone interrupts me for trivial things & spam. If only notification is enabled, I constantly pick up my phone to see if I have email. If nothing is enabled, I unlock my phone & open my email app to see if I have email- less frequent, but more likely to get sucked in.

None of these things are good.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#82

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 5:56 PM UTC

hitekker wrote: post #9

"I used to be a human being": I like this phrase. It captures, poetically, the existential despair of losing the conditions of humanity. Regardless of if the author's particular conditions necessitates the implicit drama, each of one us, I'm sure, have felt like we lost what made us "real" or "authentic" at some point or another.

Is the problem of authenticity, another word for being yourself (right?) a problem specific to online? I wonder if it's a problem that came with modern civilization. People can feel this way IRL. I guess the Internet does add an extra measure of distance in a sense but in another sense it reduces those distances. We all routinely interact with people all over the globe.

I'm not arguing against what you're saying, just trying to think about it. When did we lose the authentic? And are we trying to restore it online? If so, is it working at all?

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#83

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 5:57 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #51

hitekker wrote: post #9

"I used to be a human being": I like this phrase. It captures, poetically, the existential despair of losing the conditions of humanity. Regardless of if the author's particular conditions necessitates the implicit drama, each of one us, I'm sure, have felt like we lost what made us "real" or "authentic" at some point or another.

People have complained about the loss of authenticity for much longer than the internet (much less social media) has been around. It happens around any time of great change. We happen to be living through a period of some of the fastest changes in human history, so it's not surprising a lot of people are confused and feel like they've lost something.

What have we lost? I don't doubt we have lost something, I just don't know what it is.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#84

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 5:58 PM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #41

Did this really need a 7000+ word essay? If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. If you're concerned about "distraction overload" then remove things from your life you find distracting. Nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to use smartphone apps and 10 different text messaging systems. If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. But don't try to argue that I should live like you…

He's expressing something that benefits some people. If you what he has to say does not resonate with you why did you keep reading and then take time to post? It's a lot of work to say essentially, "this does not apply to me." :-)

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#85

Post by hprotagonist » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 5:59 PM UTC

reminds me of the poem "The World is Too Much With Us", by William Wadsworth:

>The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#86

Post by jstimpfle » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 6:00 PM UTC

resetting wrote: post #7

I'd be interested to hear everyone's strategies to combat this, as I assume many of us that work in the industry encounter similar problems of distraction and inundation. First, I don't use any devices directly after waking up. I meditate for about 20 minutes upon waking and then try to read fiction for 40 minutes. So, all in, somewhere around an hour of no device distractions before starting my day. Slack is one of…

I shut down my facebook account seven years ago. I'd noticed fairly early on that what I did there was basically marketing myself and some stalking. I also noticed I was poor in marketing and felt ashamed of myself. In consequence my interest in stalking / following others' marketing faded, and shutting down my account was the only logical action to take. I've never regretted it.

I have a smartphone, but don't use it except for texting and making calls. Since I have maybe 10-20 calls or texts a week, I usually don't take my phone to work. For me, email at work and a phone at home is enough for setting up appointments and leading a satisfactory social life. It's a great relief not carrying this nagging tracking device around with me all day.

I don't understand what's the great thing about smartphones. They are much less convenient to use than a desktop or laptop for most of the things I do (emailing, web surfing, software development). (what things are so important that need the mobility or the special devices not typically found in desktops such as touch, GPS, camera? Maybe if I played Pokemon Go or had selfie-taking or QR scanning addiction...).

I also totally hate when I have to share others' attention with their smartphones. Personally I've learned to embrace or even enjoy boredom, or watching out the window, or sitting in a bar drinking beer, thinking of nothing at all. I feel my head is working underneath, and I need the balance I get from doing nothing conscious. A quote from Pulp Fiction that I like: “‎That's when you know you've found somebody really special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably share silence.”

However my big problem is dealing with computers at work, and sitting in front of them 8-10 hours a day, at work and at home. When I don't feel productive (most of the time -- I try to make good decisions in my software designs, and thoughts need time to settle), my time is spent randomly clicking links on news sites, HN and twitter (barely sending, mostly consuming).

I would really like to be more productive and consume less unimportant news. However knowing I'm not a genious I doubt that more isolation will improve my productivity.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#87

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 6:01 PM UTC

ryandrake wrote: post #52

te_chris wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, how about the writer has experienced something very personal which their editor thought would appeal to an audience as wide as that of NYMag? Perhaps, instead of just saying the writer is wrong, you could try and empathise with the position, see if you feel better after some time apart from the internet. Try and understand another perspective. Writing is 1 to many, the author was most certainly not writing just f…

It's fine to say, "Hey, I don't like this--here's the personal story about how I had a huge problem with it." It goes off the rails when he starts calling it "our" [collective] problem. Sorry, I just think that's assuming an awful lot about one's audience.

Fair enough, I certainly don't want any government programs to come out of this discussion. I kind of doubt he meant collective in that we need a collective solution. He meant collective in the sense of it captures the times. He's right.

At least I hope that's what he meant as collective solutions aren't called for here. Thoughtful thinking and discussion are called for online, please. I like online.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#88

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 6:02 PM UTC

mfringel wrote: post #48

ryandrake wrote: post #41

Did this really need a 7000+ word essay? If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. If you're concerned about "distraction overload" then remove things from your life you find distracting. Nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to use smartphone apps and 10 different text messaging systems. If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. But don't try to argue that I should live like you…

Your data point has been noted by the Ministry of Statistics. Thank you for your participation.

I used to read his blog. He's kind of a quasi libertarian not your ministry of stats kind of wonk.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#89

Post by fmela » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 6:02 PM UTC

hprotagonist wrote: post #85

reminds me of the poem "The World is Too Much With Us", by William Wadsworth: >The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we…

I believe this is William Wordsworth.

Re: I Used to Be a Human Being

#90

Post by marmot777 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 6:06 PM UTC

maus42 wrote: post #43

ryandrake wrote: post #41

Did this really need a 7000+ word essay? If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. If you're concerned about "distraction overload" then remove things from your life you find distracting. Nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to use smartphone apps and 10 different text messaging systems. If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. But don't try to argue that I should live like you…

> If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. That's very nice, but if you want to live as a technology-free non-hermit you naturally would try encourage other people to join you. You don't have to read their 7000+ word essays, either, if you have so aggressive reactions to their claims.

Yeah no kidding. I would regret my decision after about 45 minutes sitting up on cold mountain. Shit, I probably wouldn't get service even if I hadn't given my phone away. What now?

People would spot me outside the library in town, resisting the urge to go inside... To return the edible plant id guide and maybe I don't know surf the web just a little.