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Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

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111–120 of 387 posts

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#111

Depression. People are spending the majority of their lives staring at a screen, and then wondering why they're depressed. In the moment it might not feel lonely. Exchanging DMs and posting on Reddit / HN / social media might feel like real communication. But ultimately there's a sense of emptiness to it, and it can't substitute real flesh-to-flesh human connection. But it feels like we're always expected to be on ou…

This is the exact position i am in right now. I crave the outside world and human contact like a drug. I am not clinically depressed, just in a state of constant longing for social interaction. I keep telling myself my work will allow me to one day enjoy the outside, ironic really.

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#112

I just saw a video of a woman getting hit by a bus because she had her headphones in and looking at her cell phone crossing a crosswalk. Not really her fault, but I guess I would have heard a bus coming.

I hope her employer had a bus factor > 1.

Too soon.

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#113

Depression. People are spending the majority of their lives staring at a screen, and then wondering why they're depressed. In the moment it might not feel lonely. Exchanging DMs and posting on Reddit / HN / social media might feel like real communication. But ultimately there's a sense of emptiness to it, and it can't substitute real flesh-to-flesh human connection. But it feels like we're always expected to be on ou…

Word.

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#114
post #106

For me, tech has turned into a crutch when I don't know what to do. I've caught myself in the middle of automatic behavior and it's a bit scary - opening Reddit or HN, closing it because I've already read everything on the front page, then opening it again a few seconds later without even thinking about it. I wonder what I would be doing without it. Creating art? Going out? I'd have to do something. It's something I…

Yishan Wong's response to that worry starts out:

> The pre-internet era was boring. Some may say that it was just as stimulating but in different, more "vibrant, outdoorsy" ways, but they are wrong. I have lived in both and the internet definitely makes life more interesting. In fact, combining the outdoors with the internet is one of life's greatest pleasures.

https://www.quora.com/How-did-people-waste-their-time-in-the...

I'm not sure I'm convinced but it was an interesting very short essay.

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#115
post #10

Semi-related to the Cruise AV, but should we be worried about a sudden increase in LIDAR everywhere from the perspective of protecting eyesight? I understand there are regulations and such to limit the "power" of the light, so just looking for more info.

If the vendors are complying with known safe-power limits (sub mW laser power), it should be fine. One should primarily be concerned with laser powers that unintentionally exceed design power, or if they're ultra-fast lasers, with the peak power.

Do those limits take into account multiple sources hitting your eye at once? Maybe with laser pulses the odds of that happening for any length of time is nil

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#116
I'm sitting in front of a device that will let me peruse what is practically the collected sum of all human knowledge, play all the games, watch all the movies, listen to all the music, communicate in realtime in multimedia with anyone, anywhere in the world, almost all for free, and will send a pizza to my house if I'm hungry.

And I'm still bored.

Re: Ask HN: What are unintended consequences of new tech you've noticed?

#120
post #106

For me, tech has turned into a crutch when I don't know what to do. I've caught myself in the middle of automatic behavior and it's a bit scary - opening Reddit or HN, closing it because I've already read everything on the front page, then opening it again a few seconds later without even thinking about it. I wonder what I would be doing without it. Creating art? Going out? I'd have to do something. It's something I…

I feel the same way, I instinctually open my phone to ease even the slightest twinge of boredom.

I don't think it would be SO bad if the news wasn't so depressing and horrible.

There are at least 2 incredibly sad stories on the front page of Reddit at all times it seems.

I wish there was something positive to fill the gaps.

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