Stop Documenting, Start Experiencing

Why would one not have anything to do at the age of 80 (I'm not speaking about physical and/or mental disabilities here)?

Sure, there are people who would just sit there and do nothing, but anyone more creative should not see the age as a show-stopper. Couple of examples I have at hand, my father and my uncle, both around the above mentioned age, but fairly active in their fields (science and architecture). Not that they need to do it, they have already earned their fair share, it's just that they simply enjoy doing it. As opposed to sitting and doing nothing...

Anyway, my point is, why 'document' while you're young and then try to 're-live' the experience, if you could 'enjoy' while you're young and do something else enjoyable when you're older?

If I write something down I'm far more likely to remember it than if I just sit back and listen. I never actually read my notes at university - they were purely to help me fix things in my mind. It drove me crazy when a lecturer forbade us from writing "because there are handouts."

You shouldn't assume that other people's learning mechanisms are the same as yours.

I think it's a valid concern, but I'm not certain it would be a problem.

The social networks are already pretty good algorithmic filtering -- displaying to users what's relevant and interesting to them -- and they'll likely become better. In fact, if I had to guess whether Facebook was in more need of better content or better filtering at this moment, my guess would be on the content side. (But this is hard to evaluate as a user: how would I ever know if I'm missing great content due to bad filtering?)

What worries me a lot more is the prospect of everyone becoming a walking camera. I can hardly have an honest session of drunk karaoke without someone filming it on their smartphone. I wonder if I'd ever do anything if everyone carried cameras on their head.

I disagree. It is one thing to take notes during a lecture, and it is totally another thing to take photos every five seconds in a concert. Different people learn differently, for some people writing actually helps them learn better. Also, writing on a paper in a class doesn't disturb other people around. Compare this with someone constantly taking photographs (complete with flash and stuff) in a concert. People around him/her also don't end up enjoying the concert.

I went to times square for new year's eve (first time for me). All around me, people were constantly taking photos, flashes everywhere. Totally ruined the experience (I didn't mind the cold, the crowd, noise etc, those were much better to tolerate than the constant flashes)

This is not a new thought. From Rent (Jonathan Larson, 1996):

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Roger: Mark hides in his work

Mark: From what?

Roger: From facing your failure, facing your loneliness, facing the fact you live a lie. Yes, you live a lie. Tell you why. You're always preaching not to be numb, when that's how you thrive. You pretend to create and observe, when you really detach from feeling alive.

Mark: Perhaps it's because I'm the one of us to survive.

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For those unfamiliar with Rent, Mark is a documentary filmmaker who constantly has the camera rolling. To a great extent, technology has turned all of us into that, and Larson's observations apply.