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Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

1843magazine.com

21–30 of 535 posts

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#21
post #5

I think this is where UBI leads if it ever happens.

That's what scares the shit of me regarding UBI. I don't mind paying for it even if it does keep young men immersed in a fantasy world. But I have a daughter. And she will be surrounded by men whose idea of women will be shaped by game characters that fail the Turing test but have big tits. I guess for her first birthday after puberty I'll have to get her a taser.

Interesting conclusion you have come to.

Is this because you believe people playing these games are not able to separate the fantasy of the game from real life?

If so, what differentiates them from pornography?

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#23
post #5

I think this is where UBI leads if it ever happens.

That's what scares the shit of me regarding UBI. I don't mind paying for it even if it does keep young men immersed in a fantasy world. But I have a daughter. And she will be surrounded by men whose idea of women will be shaped by game characters that fail the Turing test but have big tits. I guess for her first birthday after puberty I'll have to get her a taser.

when i go to comic con, you see many women who look like they fit what the comic book would look like. most are not hard, just dont be over weight.

men however, even men you clearly see they spend most of their time in the gym could never even remotely fill out many male fantasy characters.

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#24
I have found that the "Game of Life" as the author puts it is much more rewarding and meaningful. But then again, I guess I get to do what I like and I'm paid well for it.

I'm worried what our culture and life will be like with a large number of people who do nothing but play video games. Especially if a UBI is created and they can continue to play video games without any big effect on their basic income.

That said, maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe all that time playing increasingly high-quality games, reading books (some in the article were), and talking about it all with people online will grow into that group of people having a different and better perspective on things. A group of gaming philosophers.

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#25
post #19

I really like this read, something just smells off about blaming young people for "wasting years" on video games. We've got a horribly stacked real life "game" where the boomers and elites have horded everything and fucked future generations, blaming an individual for dropping out and not wanting to really participate in that trainwreck is being dishonest at best.

This really hits home for me. Seems like every older family member I have just has tons and tons of useless stuff. I dont get it.

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#26
Hard to blame anyone for spending their time doing things where success is quantifiable and quickly displayed.

This is the Western countries' version of hikkikomori and there will only be more of it as education and good opportunities become out of reach for more people.

Men seem more likely to do this than women because of the societal pressures on them to get a job and run the rat race of dating and climbing a nonexistent corporate ladder.

For those people living in major job centers or major job creation industries it seems unfathomable, but there is an entire American generation out there experiencing this, being told that they're not shit if they don't go to college and work a 9 to 5 (which really is more of a 9 to 9). I don't blame them for opting out of such useless propaganda. Not everyone enjoys or is interested in computer programming, and starting your career in your 20s without an inherently marketable skill is terrifying for most people.

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#28
post #3

slow news day, huh? seems this story is aired about every 2-3 years... EDIT: I'm being downvoted for pointing out that these kinds of articles have been rehashed for years? thanks. continue on, then.

By "this story" you mean a story like this? Because this one is new.

https://twitter.com/ryanavent/status/841411624904863746

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#29
post #5

I think this is where UBI leads if it ever happens.

This is the thing UBI prevents.

A large benefit of a UBI compared to the status quo is that it reduces marginal tax rates on low income people. Right now you can get a lot of assistance if you have little to no income, but if you make a dollar you lose 90 cents in benefits. Who wants to work for 10 cents on the dollar?

With a UBI you make a dollar and you keep most of it, so there is more incentive to work.

Re: Young men dropping out of the job market to spend time in an alternate reality

#30
* Disappointing that the false meme about some gaming communities being hostile to women because they're women was promoted in this article. Some gaming communities are very hostile to newcomers: but it's not because you're a woman, it's because you're a noob or just suck. Welcome to one of the last remaining meritocracies.

* The article makes a correct observation insofar as more men (not just an occasional sad social reject) are using games as an escape, often due to poor economic realities. But it's disappointing that the huge role that male/female relations and sex plays in this trend is ignored.

* Google terms like "the sexodus". There are many politically incorrect truths here about what is going on with male/female relations and why more men are seeking an escape and why everybody is unhappy that I think are more at the root of this issue.

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