Spend enough hours online and it’s hard not to notice how it slowly turns into a marathon of doing absolutely nothing. Scroll after scroll, post after post, thread after thread… and somewhere along the line it stops being entertaining or enlightening. It just becomes a useless compulsion, a reminder that the day has slipped away. We like to tell ourselves we can un-jack at anytime, that it’s all a personal choice and not an addiction, but is it really?

 

Forums, feeds, endless reparative news cycles about crime, wars, politics, Instagram reels, random nonsense, it doesn’t matter. The screen stops being productive and starts feeling like a mirror, showing how little got done. And yet, the clicking never stops. Like time-wasting addicts, we keep going on with it while the day disappears.

 

Boredom, obsession, regret, they all creep in quietly, but they’re universal. And as time goes fleeting by, something you were going to do today now needs to be pushed off until tomorrow. Anyone who spends many hours a day online clearly knows it, whether they are willing to confront the reality of it or not.

There are some useful topics and exchanges on here.

 

There are also some stupid or silly threads. But so what? Not everything need to be serious all the time.

 

Online exchange is better in many ways than being trapped in a room with someone. If they start talking about stuff you don't want to talk about, you can't extricate yourself. Here, you can choose what to respond to or what not to respond to.

 

You can log on once a week. No one is forcing you to spend a lot of time on here. Although some people might suck you in to "drama" ... just be aware.

 

9 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

There are some useful topics and exchanges on here.

 

There are also some stupid or silly threads. But so what? Not everything need to be serious all the time.

 

Online exchange is better in many ways than being trapped in a room with someone. If they start talking about stuff you don't want to talk about, you can't extricate yourself. Here, you can choose what to respond to or what not to respond to.

 

You can log on once a week. No one is forcing you to spend a lot of time on here. Although some people might suck you in to "drama" ... just be aware.

 

I agree. But the points you made apply to this forum specifically and my OP is a general statement about online addiction.

One day a critical mass of dumbasses will wake up bored with the internet, selfies, the latest BS tech.  And that will be the day the world implodes.  I say bring it.

1 hour ago, Alpha84 said:

Spend enough hours online and it’s hard not to notice how it slowly turns into a marathon of doing absolutely nothing. Scroll after scroll, post after post, thread after thread… and somewhere along the line it stops being entertaining or enlightening. It just becomes a useless compulsion, a reminder that the day has slipped away. We like to tell ourselves we can un-jack at anytime, that it’s all a personal choice and not an addiction, but is it really?

 

Forums, feeds, endless reparative news cycles about crime, wars, politics, Instagram reels, random nonsense, it doesn’t matter. The screen stops being productive and starts feeling like a mirror, showing how little got done. And yet, the clicking never stops. Like time-wasting addicts, we keep going on with it while the day disappears.

 

Boredom, obsession, regret, they all creep in quietly, but they’re universal. And as time goes fleeting by, something you were going to do today now needs to be pushed off until tomorrow. Anyone who spends many hours a day online clearly knows it, whether they are willing to confront the reality of it or not.

Why do0 you think forums are the main attraction online. You must have problems! I have made 17k baht online today, at the same time I have been over here commenting. So, I guess it is what you make it to be, and you just sound like a poor loser.

13 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Why do0 you think forums are the main attraction online. You must have problems! I have made 17k baht online today, at the same time I have been over here commenting. So, I guess it is what you make it to be, and you just sound like a poor loser.

It's OK Bud.  Your life sucks and you need to try to bring down others to your level.  Your the type that always shouts to the world how wonderful they are and doesn't realize nobody really likes them.  I seriously doubt the people you call friends would care less if a truck ran you over tomorrow.  Sucks to be you but the the world is full of deluded losers.

52 minutes ago, atpeace said:

It's OK Bud.  Your life sucks and you need to try to bring down others to your level.  Your the type that always shouts to the world how wonderful they are and doesn't realize nobody really likes them.  I seriously doubt the people you call friends would care less if a truck ran you over tomorrow.  Sucks to be you but the the world is full of deluded losers.

Thank you for your support and defense. It’s okay, I don’t even read any of his posts. Life is too short to waste time in that way.

 

But my OP of this topic is just about that: wasting time online and the implications of it. As I get older, I try to spend more time on introspection and being honest with myself. I look around and see so many people in denial, deluded by an image of themselves that they wish they actually possessed. They do them, and I do me. The more honest I can be with myself, the better off I am, no matter how hard the truth might be to swallow. I don’t need to always be liked, but as long as I am aware of that, then that’s all I want: to know who I am, what I’m doing, and who the real me is. I’ll leave all the fake personas to the others on forums and social media. Hopefully, they get something more from it than just fooling themselves.

 

And that said, it brings us back to the point of this post: to accept our online addictions and bad habits. Not sure if acceptance alone will cure anything, but Bangkok wasn’t built in a day, and the only way to get from point A to point B is to start by putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Peace atpeace ✌🏼 

Its useful to see what the majority of the world thinks about something, realizing that the majority are always wrong, then form your opinions based on that

10 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Why do0 you think forums are the main attraction online. You must have problems! I have made 17k baht online today, at the same time I have been over here commenting. So, I guess it is what you make it to be, and you just sound like a poor loser.

You write some weird sh*t, bro. You should try working on your issues. 

I spent the entire day playing civilisation..........

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I spent the entire day playing civilisation..........

I bounce around between a half dozen video games. Three I have rigged for easy play, they're meant to be enjoyed, not add to frustration.

 

Self-loathing? Not a day goes by that I don't wonder at how wonderful my life has turned out. Part-time teaching to stay just busy enough that I still really enjoy it, plenty of actual IRL friends, a good balance between exercise and leisure. It's your life to set up. Get busy living or get busy dying.

The problem is even more insidious than we realize...

I stopped reading and posting to Facebook about a week ago. I had stopped all group notices on Facebook last year, which freed up a lot of my time. Since I stopped posting, I find that I have a LOT more time for other things.
My mobile devices are now being inundated with Facebook 'notices' telling me this friend posted in that group, or this other group has new messages that I haven't seen, or 'see what Judy posted.' Facebook is ACTIVELY trying to get me to post to it again. It's very unhappy that I'm not using it any longer, and it has built-in devices to keep us coming back.  

Thankfully, AseanNow doesn't do that, but I still give it 30-45 minutes a day because I always learn something new here!  (And truth be told, I really enjoy reading  Lewie London's posts over breakfast!)

20 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I spent the entire day playing civilisation..........

The game or real life?  For some reason I don't see you as a game guy.

29 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

The problem is even more insidious than we realize...

I stopped reading and posting to Facebook about a week ago. I had stopped all group notices on Facebook last year, which freed up a lot of my time. Since I stopped posting, I find that I have a LOT more time for other things.
My mobile devices are now being inundated with Facebook 'notices' telling me this friend posted in that group, or this other group has new messages that I haven't seen, or 'see what Judy posted.' Facebook is ACTIVELY trying to get me to post to it again. It's very unhappy that I'm not using it any longer, and it has built-in devices to keep us coming back.  

Thankfully, AseanNow doesn't do that, but I still give it 30-45 minutes a day because I always learn something new here!  (And truth be told, I really enjoy reading  Lewie London's posts over breakfast!)

Just watched Social Dilemma and it can be a little corny at times but it reflects what is happening  in the online domain.   It took me probably longer than most to realise how my believes were in large part created and enforced by what social media delivered to me directly.  It cares nothing about the truth and only about increasing their share of the online marketplace.  THey are businesses and this is part of their DNA.  Doubt it can be regulated but we the people have to stop believing what our feeds are telling us without any true reflection.

 

There are many posters here on this forum that are insanely driven by what they are reading online without realising the are being manipulated to some extent.  A good example is BLMFem, whos IQ would probably dwarf most posters here including myself.  Waiting for he/her to make a post that is supportive of the other team.   People have to wake up and realise when two large groups disagree vehemently, that the group they belong to might be wrong on many to most issues.  We are being played!

I feel sorry for all the Magpies who have learned they have been catfished by a bunch of foreigners…  

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/musk-x-maga-influencers-foreign-b2870944.html

41 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I bounce around between a half dozen video games. Three I have rigged for easy play, they're meant to be enjoyed, not add to frustration.

 

Self-loathing? Not a day goes by that I don't wonder at how wonderful my life has turned out. Part-time teaching to stay just busy enough that I still really enjoy it, plenty of actual IRL friends, a good balance between exercise and leisure. It's your life to set up. Get busy living or get busy dying.

Never played an online game or even a PC game.  Open to exploring and my reason is that I need something to stimulate my mind.   I'm to comfortable with my weird but nearly ideal existence.  I have no friends because there are no English speakers around me.  I have my hobbies that keep me extremely ( possibly excessively ) motivated but nothing that truly engages my mind.  Without constant monitoring, I can get into a mind wandering rut that last months until I breakout ot it.  This lifestyle will eventually create an environment that will increase the likelihood of dementia or other mind wasting diseases.

 

Probably lost you after the first sentence 🙂  Can games stimulate the mind in the same manner that intellectual occupations do or a group of quality friends?

14 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Just watched Social Dilemma and it can be a little corny at times but it reflects what is happening  in the online domain.   It took me probably longer than most to realise how my believes were in large part created and enforced by what social media delivered to me directly.  It cares nothing about the truth and only about increasing their share of the online marketplace.  THey are businesses and this is part of their DNA.  Doubt it can be regulated but we the people have to stop believing what our feeds are telling us without any true reflection.

 

We are being manipulated by professional manipulators. Pros. Psychologists trained to modify our core beliefs without our even being aware of it. (Think 'advertising' but for political and business reasons.)  If we continue to listen to them without being aware of what is being done TO us to control our beliefs, we really are doomed. 

When a MAGA follower in Georgia asks a Search Engine 'What was the outcome of the US Civil War?' he will get a very different answer than if the same question was asked by a Democrat in NYC, just based on their posting history. We are ALL getting different answers, crafted to be the ones we want to hear.

Our 'news' is no longer 'news.' It's theater created for its listeners.

We need 'critical thinking' people to be able to handle our country's needs, not robot followers blindly going where Social Media propels them. And even if you don't believe it, we ARE being manipulated. Unfortunately, the only way to stop it is to ditch Social Media, and that's not going to happen for most people today.

"The art of doom scrolling..."

 

I was watching a girl Zombie Scrolling a few days ago. She was staring off into space, blank expression on her face, day dreaming with her phone in her lap, but her thumb was still scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. She did that for minutes at a time, never even glancing at her screen. It seems scrolling is now embedded in her DNA. Perhaps 'Comfort Scrolling' would be a better name.

10 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

wasting time online and the implications of it

Wasting time? It depends on what you do online, right?
 

11 hours ago, atpeace said:

It's OK Bud.  Your life sucks and you need to try to bring down others to your level.  Your the type that always shouts to the world how wonderful they are and doesn't realize nobody really likes them.  I seriously doubt the people you call friends would care less if a truck ran you over tomorrow.  Sucks to be you but the the world is full of deluded losers.

When did I mention anything about that my life sucks? My life is awesome! You on the other hand, seems to be very bitter. 

15 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Never played an online game or even a PC game.  Open to exploring and my reason is that I need something to stimulate my mind.  

I think the last computer game I played was Pac-Man.

Video games have no attraction for me. I'd rather play solitaire or read a book. 

That said, I'm very glad that my brain takes this turn as I've watched some people literally devote their lives to video games. Folks who go out and buy fancy joy sticks, foot-controlled rudder and aileron controls, with three large screens wrapped around them. They buy in-game accessories with real money, spending hundreds for a new weapon or an upgrade to their rocket ship.
But they are content. They enjoy. That's what matters. 
Sometimes I envy them. Usually, I prefer to find out what is happening in the world and around my neighborhood! I just have to be careful of my sources.

Trust, but verify.

13 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I think the last computer game I played was Pac-Man.

Video games have no attraction for me. I'd rather play solitaire or read a book. 

That said, I'm very glad that my brain takes this turn as I've watched some people literally devote their lives to video games. Folks who go out and buy fancy joy sticks, foot-controlled rudder and aileron controls, with three large screens wrapped around them. They buy in-game accessories with real money, spending hundreds for a new weapon or an upgrade to their rocket ship.
But they are content. They enjoy. That's what matters. 
Sometimes I envy them. Usually, I prefer to find out what is happening in the world and around my neighborhood! I just have to be careful of my sources.

Trust, but verify.

Can't change who you are inherently or at least is is extremely difficult.  Nice that you can be happy that others enjoy something that isn't interesting to you in the least. 

 

I have no idea what is really happening around me, as you do in your area, and do my best not to create stories in my head.  I'm OK with being the weird farang that wanders through the jungle hiking and running.  Wish I had friends but have come to terms with that  not happening anytime soon.  Been blessed with incredible health and a good woman.  A good foundation but I am hopeful there is more to life and open to other ventures.

26 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Wasting time? It depends on what you do online, right?
 

When did I mention anything about that my life sucks? My life is awesome! You on the other hand, seems to be very bitter. 

You never mentioned that and I never stated you did.  There lies the problem.  You are the problem and the odds of your life being awesome are,,, well miniscule. 

 

You might be the extremely rare exception but I've never come across someone that enjoys being a nasty person that is winning in life.  Sure in their mind they are giants but we all see how pathetic they are and even feel sorry for them.  If I could hug you  and tell you it will all be OK, I would.  Maybe just ditching the persona and the life that created it might be the answer. 

 

Nothing wrong with divorce and relocation.   It takes a real man to go down that road.  Best of luck figuring it out Dude. Hugs

44 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

We are being manipulated by professional manipulators. Pros. Psychologists trained to modify our core beliefs without our even being aware of it. (Think 'advertising' but for political and business reasons.)  If we continue to listen to them without being aware of what is being done TO us to control our beliefs, we really are doomed. 

When a MAGA follower in Georgia asks a Search Engine 'What was the outcome of the US Civil War?' he will get a very different answer than if the same question was asked by a Democrat in NYC, just based on their posting history. We are ALL getting different answers, crafted to be the ones we want to hear.

Our 'news' is no longer 'news.' It's theater created for its listeners.

We need 'critical thinking' people to be able to handle our country's needs, not robot followers blindly going where Social Media propels them. And even if you don't believe it, we ARE being manipulated. Unfortunately, the only way to stop it is to ditch Social Media, and that's not going to happen for most people today.

These above   beliefs mirror mine  100%.  Acting on them can be difficult at times.  Just doing it sometimes might be all that is needed to create an environment that promotes critical thinking.  It's OK to be wrong and even inconsistent if it's authentic.  Limits to everything but switching teams or criticising your own team should be normal.  

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I spent the entire day playing civilisation..........

We're you really enjoying yourself? 

2 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I bounce around between a half dozen video games. Three I have rigged for easy play, they're meant to be enjoyed, not add to frustration.

 

Self-loathing? Not a day goes by that I don't wonder at how wonderful my life has turned out. Part-time teaching to stay just busy enough that I still really enjoy it, plenty of actual IRL friends, a good balance between exercise and leisure. It's your life to set up. Get busy living or get busy dying.

How do you manage to teach part time visa wise? I'd like this option.

3 hours ago, atpeace said:

People have to wake up and realise when two large groups disagree vehemently, that the group they belong to might be wrong on many to most issues.  We are being played!

Left-wing and Right-wing are parts of the same bird. 
Cut it in half and the bird will not fly so well.  Use just one wing more than the other and you just find yourself going in circles. 

3 hours ago, atpeace said:

If I could hug you  and tell you it will all be OK, I would

oh for god's sake !    I think I'm going to puke

Maybe all true but i think the internet a we know it will no longer exist in a few years or maybe even earlier.

Ai is going to end it and it already does in a way.

 

There are AI  songs on top of the charts already and it is getting increasingly difficult to see what is AI and what is not.

IMO there should be a law that requires all AI content to be marked as such.

I see serious discussions on the net about videos or pictures that are obviously not real and a lot of people do not realize it!

Already some countries are putting restrictions on the access on the net for young people which is a good thing but maybe too little too late already.

People are being sucked into using AI whether they want it or not?

Remember the .com crash,the same will happen to AI.

Just wait what happens when some one decides to pretend to be JC and suck all of the common sense out of the people,(whatever there is left)

We have no clear idea about how much harm the internet does to us in the long run but i believe seeing what you believe being enforced on you everyday will only convince you more in your beliefs.

AI can be used to do good and also can do a lot of damage, we need to be very aware of this.

We need very strong laws about the use of AI becuase if we do not it will take over the internet and our lives/minds.

35 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

Left-wing and Right-wing are parts of the same bird. 
Cut it in half and the bird will not fly so well.  Use just one wing more than the other and you just find yourself going in circles. 

Nice picture you paint but a bird flies with it wings but controls direction with its tail.

 

26 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

oh for god's sake !    I think I'm going to puke

yep, I was going for sarcasm.  You puking is even better though..