Baby Boomers and the Internet

[Old Croc]

I considerer the generation known as millennials are akin to herd animals. Despite all evidence to the contrary, they believe they are smarter than the generations that preceded them. They tell themselves this constantly without proof of endeavor nor original thought.

Previous generations, starting with baby boomers, brought about the greatest advances in technology in human history. They (we) brought the world into the digital age, went to space, and invented most of the incredible technology in common use today.

Millennials misuse the gifts they inherited to preen, prance and posture themselves on their main invention - social media. They worship celebrity, fail badly in general knowledge and disbelieve even the most basic of facts because some nutter on their favorite media told them to.

They are on track to turn the farcical film "Idiocracy" into a real future.

[AlQaholic]

I would go on Amazon, Lazada or Bangood and look for something, for example drone engines or frames, then 5 minutes later when I check my Facebook, it is flooded with ads and other stuff about just that, what I searched for. I'm just tired of it all, using FB less and less, because I realize it has no benefits for me at all. I have always been immune to ads, even back in the days of newspapers, I would consciously ignore every single ad, they are just blacked out in my mind, I see or hear an ad, my mind goes automatically blank. If I want something, I search and find it, and then I buy it.

[micmichd]

4 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

I would go on Amazon, Lazada or Bangood and look for something, for example drone engines or frames, then 5 minutes later when I check my Facebook, it is flooded with ads and other stuff about just that, what I searched for. I'm just tired of it all, using FB less and less, because I realize it has no benefits for me at all. I have always been immune to ads, even back in the days of newspapers, I would consciously ignore every single ad, they are just blacked out in my mind, I see or hear an ad, my mind goes automatically blank. If I want something, I search and find it, and then I buy it.

If you know what switches are (a basic concept of linear algebra) you can get rid of unsolicited offers on Facebook, too. 

[AlQaholic]

2 minutes ago, micmichd said:

If you know what switches are (a basic concept of linear algebra) you can get rid of unsolicited offers on Facebook, too. 

Easier to just dump the app. If the default setting in an app is to flood me with <deleted>, it's no good in the first place.

Edited May 14, 2021 by AlQaholic

[wwest5829]

On 5/12/2021 at 6:18 PM, bwpage3 said:

Before the internet, learning was accomplished by reading published books. With footnotes and bibliographies to the sources of the data and information.

 

There is so much mis-information, wrong information, or politically swayed information on the internet, which young person knows for sure what is true and what is not? 

 

Ask any young person what was the last book they read and they won't have an answer because they do not read.

 

Look back to all the wonderfully cool inventions developed before the internet and ask yourself exactly how people developed those things?

 

We sent a man to the moon before the internet!

 

 

But not before computers ... just sayin ...

[wwest5829]

12 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Easier to just dump the app. If the default setting in an app is to flood me with <deleted>, it's no good in the first place.

A big part of the FB/Google debacle with Apple. Happy with the Apple steps ...

[Surasak]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:17 PM, Kanada said:

I have to disagree....that’s a huge generalization and simply not so!

I read most of the books in our small school library and my boys are readers....they use the internet mostly for work and reading books...but they prefer hard copies and their friends do too!

Every book you ever read is on the internet!

Young people are a lot smarter than we were....now that’s a big generalization too but their schools were better...their teachers were better...their universities better equipped!

I think lot of things have happened since we sent a man to the moon as great an accomplishment as that was it didn’t feed a single person or benefit any one I know???? but just my opinion.

I don't mean to criticize, but your last paragraph is a little short sighted. I can't name the advantages off hand, but take motor racing as an example. If not for motor racing the advances in general motoring would not be where they are today. Just as a point, fuel injection came about due to motor racing, or do you still tinker with carburettors? I remember twins were a pig to balance without the correct equipment. Just saying????

[Surasak]

On 5/12/2021 at 8:15 PM, Kanada said:

Haha come to think...Blackbird scared me but never hurt me but the CR’s did both ☠️☠️

Whatever happened to the Vincent Black Shadow???

[Kanada]

3 minutes ago, Surasak said:

I don't mean to criticize, but your last paragraph is a little short sighted. I can't name the advantages off hand, but take motor racing as an example. If not for motor racing the advances in general motoring would not be where they are today. Just as a point, fuel injection came about due to motor racing, or do you still tinker with carburettors? I remember twins were a pig to balance without the correct equipment. Just saying????

I actually do still tinker with carburetors although I’ve never been a great hand with them.

I’m a little old fashioned that way but a big believer in fuel injection on daily drivers....

These two were left behind and I miss them but neither one would have been right in Thailand ????

[Kanada]

7 minutes ago, Surasak said:

I don't mean to criticize, but your last paragraph is a little short sighted. I can't name the advantages off hand, but take motor racing as an example. If not for motor racing the advances in general motoring would not be where they are today. Just as a point, fuel injection came about due to motor racing, or do you still tinker with carburettors? I remember twins were a pig to balance without the correct equipment. Just saying????

Yes my comment was a bit short sited perhaps....I’m sure the moon landing had huge advantages in many areas!

Just didn’t see any in my little world (no pun ????)

[Surasak]

23 hours ago, ivor bigun said:

I may be a baby boomer ,but when computers started i had one ,,i met my Thai wife a long time ago and she could use a computer so helped in our office in BKK for a while untill we got a full timer 

when i go on the internet i search for "proper sites" medical or otherwise ,not just the rubbish ,  To be honest i feel many of the new generation dont have a brain of their own any longer ,just drivel thats injected into them by teachers that are stupid .

also when i see people "following" "celebrities" and "influencers" i despair ,

I am so glad i grew up in the real world ,where i had real friends ,stayed out all day ,lived through the swinging 60s in London and had a real life .

as for Facebook ,you can stick it where the sun dont shine.

I wouldn't use Facebook if they paid me. I stand by the following as a very early baby boomer.

[Brierley]

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

After shuffling them of course.

The correct term is, a hand sort.

[whaleboneman]

26 minutes ago, Surasak said:

I wouldn't use Facebook if they paid me. I stand by the following as a very early baby boomer.

Yes there are great benefits...but what percentage of time spent on the internet is productive? And what kind of socialization are the children with the phones getting?

[Kanada]

1 hour ago, Surasak said:

I wouldn't use Facebook if they paid me. I stand by the following as a very early baby boomer.

If you’d had this technology when you grew up what do you think might have happened??

[orchidfan]

On 5/13/2021 at 8:33 AM, robblok said:

Sorry but you guys are just way of base so old fashioned. But then again there is a big generation difference between me and you guys. E learning perfect through the internet. Websites with business information (tax laws) available for me. I just pay to get the right information.

 

If you use the internet right you are way ahead of the babyboomers. I think its just too hard for your generation to accept that most of you are just out of touch with the new way of learning and gathering information.

 

I agree about the misinformation but people who use the internet well know where to look for the right information. If i am looking for tax news I go to a paid for tax website from a well known party. I would not go to advice from some unknown entity.

 

Must be terribly hard to admit that your outdated.

 

Young people are much smarter now as the old generation. We are much better at problem solving. I am so happy i was raised with computers. We now know how to collect and apply information. We have far more information available. (if you know where to look and that is what babyboomers don know)

 

I know im generalizing as there are some quite bright babyboomers on this site who do know how things work. Evidently in the IT part of the forum. But you also see a lot of not so bright people who hate things like banking apps and food apps. 

 

Only those that adapt will get better. I read countless books in our local library but it does not come close to what kind of information i got now. If i knew what i know now for instance about fitness (all from the internet) then i would have trained much better when young. Sure there is a lot of misinformation. But that is where real inteligence comes in to seperate the two.

Hate to not pick but as a baby boomer I know how to spell "intelligence" !!!

[chilly07]

I think in the main the internet  doesn't work and we spend to much time working around it.  My generation had a life before  computers and managed extremely  well.  Skills that are useful  when the web is playing  up.  I had been  working  for 5yrs before remote mainframe access  was introduced and subsequently  when maxis moved into the office.  Computerisation was a pain and added nothing to  our working lives.  Nowadays online banking and email are probably the  main advantage along side remote working, smart offices and computer  aided design. Social media is a  unnecessary distraction and in the main is used to market rubbish that nobody needs. 'Google it' unfortunately is a brain replacement removing the need to study think and learn turning vast swathes of the population  into crypto zombies!

Edited May 14, 2021 by chilly07

[CH1961]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:17 PM, Kanada said:

Young people are a lot smarter than we were ....

Without a psychotherapist, they don't even know if they are male or female. 

[Kanada]

10 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

I think in the main the internet  doesn't work and we spend to much time working around it.  My generation had a life before  computers and managed extremely  well.  Skills that are useful  when the web is playing  up.  I had been  working  for 5yrs before remote mainframe access  was introduced and subsequently  when maxis moved into the office.  Computerisation was a pain and added nothing to  our working lives.  Nowadays online banking and email are probably the  main advantage along side remote working, smart offices and computer  aided design. Social media is a  unnecessary distraction and in the main is used to market rubbish that nobody needs. 'Google it' unfortunately is a brain replacement removing the need to study think and learn turning vast swathes of the population  into crypto zombies!

I just sooo don’t agree....just “one” example is what computers have offered in the field of medicine and just one more offhand what computers have done for tracking stock and auto ordering for big box stores Ams the like.

just two of an infinite list of computer driven improvements in the world.

Now I would agree they have replaced a lot of human jobs in certain areas but have also opened new positions on other areas!

B

[Kanada]

7 minutes ago, CH1961 said:

Without a psychotherapist, they don't even know if they are male or female. 

Really.....that’s just a foolish and unthinking remark...don’t you think?

There were gays and transsexuals in your day too but they were afraid to identify themselves....maybe because of guys just like you????

[ivor bigun]

20 hours ago, Kanada said:

Really.....that’s just a foolish and unthinking remark...don’t you think?

There were gays and transsexuals in your day too but they were afraid to identify themselves....maybe because of guys just like you????

two of my cousins were gay ,it was not that they were afraid to identify themselves ,everyone knew ,even our Grandad ,had an idea , it was just they did not flaunt it all over the place ,wave rainbow flags ,start kissing their partner in public ,and demand to get married and foster children ect ect ect . .

they just got on with their lives like the rest of us . just like my female cousin does now with her partner .

[CH1961]

21 hours ago, Kanada said:

There were gays and transsexuals in your day too but they were afraid to identify themselves. 

No they were proud and we had some fun together. 

Without victim complex. Not playing minority games.