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life lessons ruined by technology

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    • life lessons ruined by technology

      "The ’80s and ’90s were a much more simpler time. If you grew up during those decades, then you remember a world without the internet. You remember a world where we weren’t constantly inundated with information. A world before sharing and re-sharing of posts. A world before the insta-celebrity culture, smartphones, and social media.
      Overall, it was an easier world where we learned valuable life lessons that kids today will never understand. Below we highlight some key life lessons from our friends at PopSugar and The Mid that technology has ruined for us and the youth of today."

      the-daily.buzz/life-lessons-ruined-by-technology-1111/
      its all good
    • I remember reading a year or two back that the majority of kids starting college couldn't read or write cursive writing and many couldn't tell time with an analog watch or analog clock.

      But to make matters worse, I think kids today have it worse than many of us in some respects (besides the obvious video game addictions, etc.) Thanks to a combination of social media, popular search engines, and even the digitizing and electronic access of every possible document, photo, and record created -- these kids will never live down anything.

      Thinking back to high school, etc., I did and said so much dumb or embarrassing crap (just how I dressed in the 80's is enough to shame me for life) that if the world at large knew about some of it I could never show my face anywhere again. But some of these poor kids have their every move, their every thought, and their every adolescent mistake etched in to the permanent record for their peers and their future employers to review in perpetuity.

      Can you imagine not getting a job because back during college you were part of some protest or another (which at the time seemed the most important thing in the world) but you now look back upon and laugh at how little you really knew about life or the real world? Or how about that time at the prom when (to this day you're still pretty sure) you had the worst night of your life, and everyone (who wants to) is able to remind you of it for the rest of your life?

      The examples are endless. But my point is that these kids today (and maybe forever) don't get to live down their mistakes or their bad times. And as sh*tty as my childhood and teen years were, I just can't imagine having to deal with the fact that the first girl I asked out in college could check Facebook or Yahoo or whatever before deciding whether to give me a shot or not.

      Every generation has some commentary about the one they preceded, things are changing, things are worse, the world's going to hell in a hand basket, etc. But the millennials, with all of their shortcomings and inexplicable bullsh*t, do have many burdens to bear that some of us will never know or have to face.

      Okay, enough sympathy talk... Get off my lawn, ya damn hoodlums!!!

      (Early Sunday morning ramblings from an over the hill coffee drinker.)
      *

      For once I'd just like to hear myself say, "Great job, self! Why don't you just take the day off."
    • socks wrote:

      all that knowledge only 18 clicks away
      OMG! Any true geeks will appreciate that one!

      Before WWW became popular, I spent most of the 90's (dialing in and) logging in to 5,000 little internets'. We used to call 'em BBS boards. :D
      *

      For once I'd just like to hear myself say, "Great job, self! Why don't you just take the day off."
    • hikerboy wrote:

      most of my friends had "world book" instead of eb.
      I looked it up in my Funk & Wagnalls.

      socks wrote:

      Now we just wiki, and google everything...and woo the fug knows about all that, gotta check facts. And then check again.
      That's always been true. Print is no different. The writer, the editor, the compiler all put their spin on things, or sometimes outright lie. And the saying that "a lie can travel halfway 'round the world while the truth is pulling its boots on," is much, much older than electronic communications.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?

      The post was edited 1 time, last by chief ().

    • chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      its all good
    • we actually have issues at work with some new hires not being able to do their jobs well. The biggest issue.....they dont talk to people, especially older workers, to gather information or learn how to do something.

      If they can't find electronic information on what they need, I.e from their desk chair, they give up. Digging thru old files, asking experienced employees, even calling people on the phone seems to be a problem.

      I don't have to wonder why.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Muddywaters ().

    • I am part of a generation where a large portion of people got screwed by being overpraised, overprovided for, overcoddled and overprotected as children. I was lucky to go to a great public school but still be raised in a blue collar home. A lot of my classmates were never allowed explore in their own, to learn anything the hard way, were never denied something they wanted badly enough for them to actually go out an earn it, heck, most of them wouldn't have been allowed to earn it if they wanted to. A lot of their parents even thought they were doing their kids a service by not allowing the kids to get part time or summer jobs.

      My grades were never that great but I also held a job almost continuously since the age of 14. When I went to interview for jobs after college, doors that my GPA did not qualify for opened for me because I had four employers and six years of employment on my resume. Shortly after getting hired at my current job (back in 2007) I had a boss tell me in frustration "Dave do you know people we interviewed that looked better than you on paper, but couldn't form a sentence or a coherent thought in a face to face interview?"
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Sarcasmtheelf ().

    • i remember when scientific calculators came out, yo werent allowed to use them in school at first, but eventually, you were allowed to use them on tests(high school).
      one of the cool things about doing research was finding out about things accidentally while doing the research.kind of like only listening to cds or record albums but never listening to the radio. you dont get accidentally exposed to new things.
      i hated school for the simple reason very few teachers inspired critical or analytical thinking, it was more about memorizing facts, figures, dates, names and places.
      i wonder, with instant gratification, instant access to information as well as informational overload, if our youth today will never develop the ability to think.
      i wonder how many high school students today could actually sit and read a book through cover to cover.
      its all good
    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      I am part of a generation where a large portion of people got screwed by being overpraised, overprovided for, overcoddled and overprotected as children. I was lucky to go to a great public school but still be raised in a blue collar home. A lot of my classmates were never allowed explore in their own, to learn anything the hard way, were never denied something they wanted badly enough for them to actually go out an earn it, heck, most of them wouldn't have been allowed to earn it if they wanted to. A lot of their parents even thought they were doing their kids a service by not allowing the kids to get part time or summer jobs.

      My grades were never that great but I also held a job almost continuously since the age of 14. When I went to interview for jobs after college, doors that my GPA did not qualify for opened for me because I had four employers and six years of employment on my resume. Shortly after getting hired at my current job (back in 2007) I had a boss tell me in frustration "Dave do you know people we interviewed that looked better than you on paper, but couldn't form a sentence or a coherent thought in a face to face interview?"
      this not only gets a like...but a big hell yes! Good for you Elf.
    • What I notice from a lot of kids is they don't ask the next pertinent question, when they hit a road block by say investigating a problem with a computer program and are told no at some point...they just stop as if that is the last word, crazy what a little common sense will do and how far it will take you.

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Socks ().

    • socks wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      I am part of a generation where a large portion of people got screwed by being overpraised, overprovided for, overcoddled and overprotected as children. I was lucky to go to a great public school but still be raised in a blue collar home. A lot of my classmates were never allowed explore in their own, to learn anything the hard way, were never denied something they wanted badly enough for them to actually go out an earn it, heck, most of them wouldn't have been allowed to earn it if they wanted to. A lot of their parents even thought they were doing their kids a service by not allowing the kids to get part time or summer jobs.

      My grades were never that great but I also held a job almost continuously since the age of 14. When I went to interview for jobs after college, doors that my GPA did not qualify for opened for me because I had four employers and six years of employment on my resume. Shortly after getting hired at my current job (back in 2007) I had a boss tell me in frustration "Dave do you know people we interviewed that looked better than you on paper, but couldn't form a sentence or a coherent thought in a face to face interview?"
      this not only gets a like...but a big hell yes! Good for you Elf.
      i never received a 4 year degree, but ive been an investment banker,was general manager/nat'l sales mgr. of french connection clothing company, was general manager of a $30 million steel business. also gm of the company that manufactures tin ceilings(like you see in ruby tuesdays, tgi fridays, checkers,etc), and never needed a degree for these positions, it was my experience, along with the fact i interview very well.
      its all good
    • socks wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      i remember when scientific calculators came out, yo werent allowed to use them in school at first, but eventually, you were allowed to use them on tests(high school).
      one of the cool things about doing research was finding out about things accidentally while doing the research.kind of like only listening to cds or record albums but never listening to the radio. you dont get accidentally exposed to new things.
      i hated school for the simple reason very few teachers inspired critical or analytical thinking, it was more about memorizing facts, figures, dates, names and places.
      i wonder, with instant gratification, instant access to information as well as informational overload, if our youth today will never develop the ability to think.
      i wonder how many high school students today could actually sit and read a book through cover to cover.
      I'd love to hear from some of our teachers on this very subject. Good topic.
      my daughter is studying for her masters at hofstra in education, and she tells me the next generation is learning entirely differently than we did, that information is being delivered differently and accessed differently today.that the way kids process the information is changing as well, and we really dont know if its for the better.
      its all good
    • hikerboy wrote:

      socks wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      I am part of a generation where a large portion of people got screwed by being overpraised, overprovided for, overcoddled and overprotected as children. I was lucky to go to a great public school but still be raised in a blue collar home. A lot of my classmates were never allowed explore in their own, to learn anything the hard way, were never denied something they wanted badly enough for them to actually go out an earn it, heck, most of them wouldn't have been allowed to earn it if they wanted to. A lot of their parents even thought they were doing their kids a service by not allowing the kids to get part time or summer jobs.

      My grades were never that great but I also held a job almost continuously since the age of 14. When I went to interview for jobs after college, doors that my GPA did not qualify for opened for me because I had four employers and six years of employment on my resume. Shortly after getting hired at my current job (back in 2007) I had a boss tell me in frustration "Dave do you know people we interviewed that looked better than you on paper, but couldn't form a sentence or a coherent thought in a face to face interview?"
      this not only gets a like...but a big hell yes! Good for you Elf.
      i never received a 4 year degree, but ive been an investment banker,was general manager/nat'l sales mgr. of french connection clothing company, was general manager of a $30 million steel business. also gm of the company that manufactures tin ceilings(like you see in ruby tuesdays, tgi fridays, checkers,etc), and never needed a degree for these positions, it was my experience, along with the fact i interview very well.
      And now you're a hiker who sells Chevy's in the off season :D
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
    • hikerboy wrote:

      socks wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      i remember when scientific calculators came out, yo werent allowed to use them in school at first, but eventually, you were allowed to use them on tests(high school).
      one of the cool things about doing research was finding out about things accidentally while doing the research.kind of like only listening to cds or record albums but never listening to the radio. you dont get accidentally exposed to new things.
      i hated school for the simple reason very few teachers inspired critical or analytical thinking, it was more about memorizing facts, figures, dates, names and places.
      i wonder, with instant gratification, instant access to information as well as informational overload, if our youth today will never develop the ability to think.
      i wonder how many high school students today could actually sit and read a book through cover to cover.
      I'd love to hear from some of our teachers on this very subject. Good topic.
      my daughter is studying for her masters at hofstra in education, and she tells me the next generation is learning entirely differently than we did, that information is being delivered differently and accessed differently today.that the way kids process the information is changing as well, and we really dont know if its for the better.
      thqt is the very reason I ask. My kids are being taught completely different than I was, not good or bad, just different...I couldn't help them much with anything school related...I didn't understand it frankly.
    • hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      Yeah, I just read about that. Cool! So now I got three ways to hook up my "devices" to my truck (usb, bluetooth and wifi. Am I missing any?). I'll do that soon as I learn how to use my devices. Or maybe I should learn the radio first! Choices, choices - maybe that's the big draw of electronics.

      Confession - last few months I've made a major leap into technology (I've been a computer guy all along, with a cheap flip-phone). First I bought a big flat screen TV, then I learned if I want real HD I'd need an HD cable box - got it (football season here I come), then I figured out my new TV was wifi ready - so I got a wifi router for my inet connection (NetFlix is great on that big screen). Then to my dismay, I let my best friend talk me into a "smart" phone (kicking and screaming, I tell ya), not so bad after I learned it could hook up to my wifi and now yer telling me I can wifi in my truck. Farcking A!

      If you ever see me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know I've completely lost my mind.

      PS - OnStar just sent me an email with a diagnostic report of my truck. This is getting out of hand!
    • I wound up having the opposite in terms of education to a great many of the posters here - I went all the way to an engineering PhD. But I was in school and out, in school and out, all the way through.

      I was a skyrocket into undergrad - flew high and exploded. I had junior standing at an Ivy League college before I turned 18, but before I finished the bachelor's, I wound up needing to take a couple of years off to put my life back together.

      I went right into the job market after undergrad. None of the campus recruiters were interested in someone with my academic record, but I'd made some good contacts in the two years that I'd taken off, and managed to get a field support job that I parlayed into an engineering job at the company headquarters. During the seven years I was with that company, they sponsored my master's degree. But then I saw myself passed over, multiple times, for the job I wanted. They kept hiring PhD's from outside the company.

      So I wound up blowing them off, at age 28, and starting in a doctoral program. It was a step down in the wealth ladder for me, but at least I managed to get a half-time teaching gig which also got me a tuition waiver. (This was at a time when if you were an engineering grad student and nobody was paying your way, you really had to ask yourself what you were doing in the program.)

      And that's how I came to work for the research labs of a Very Large Company, and became the overeducated pedant who hangs out here. And I have considerable respect for those who have no degree of any sort but are wise in other things. I can be quite deficient in 'street smarts' sometimes. And my wife tells me that I need a keeper - and I don't argue. She finds the things I lose and remembers the things I forget.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • chief wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      Yeah, I just read about that. Cool! So now I got three ways to hook up my "devices" to my truck (usb, bluetooth and wifi. Am I missing any?). I'll do that soon as I learn how to use my devices. Or maybe I should learn the radio first! Choices, choices - maybe that's the big draw of electronics.
      Confession - last few months I've made a major leap into technology (I've been a computer guy all along, with a cheap flip-phone). First I bought a big flat screen TV, then I learned if I want real HD I'd need an HD cable box - got it (football season here I come), then I figured out my new TV was wifi ready - so I got a wifi router for my inet connection (NetFlix is great on that big screen). Then to my dismay, I let my best friend talk me into a "smart" phone (kicking and screaming, I tell ya), not so bad after I learned it could hook up to my wifi and now yer telling me I can wifi in my truck. Farcking A!

      If you ever see me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know I've completely lost my mind.

      PS - OnStar just sent me an email with a diagnostic report of my truck. This is getting out of hand!
      jumper cables :D
    • socks wrote:

      What I notice from a lot of kids is they don't ask the next pertinent question, when they hit a road block by say investigating a problem with a computer program and are told no at some point...they just stop as if that is the last word, crazy what a little common sense will do and how far it will take you.
      We carefully train any independent inquiry out of them. The schools get more tight-arsed with every generation, and you had better do it just as Teacher says, or else. Even asking the wrong question gets penalized.

      I think that's part of the reason that neofascism is so popular among some of the younger people. They need someone to tell them what to do - because they just know internally that they'll be punished for trying to figure it out themselves. Freedom scares the dickens out of them, because they just know that they can't get it right.

      While we iconoclastic hikers simply know we're doing it all wrong and don't give a rodent's hindquarters. :P
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      I wound up having the opposite in terms of education to a great many of the posters here - I went all the way to an engineering PhD. But I was in school and out, in school and out, all the way through.

      I was a skyrocket into undergrad - flew high and exploded. I had junior standing at an Ivy League college before I turned 18, but before I finished the bachelor's, I wound up needing to take a couple of years off to put my life back together.

      I went right into the job market after undergrad. None of the campus recruiters were interested in someone with my academic record, but I'd made some good contacts in the two years that I'd taken off, and managed to get a field support job that I parlayed into an engineering job at the company headquarters. During the seven years I was with that company, they sponsored my master's degree. But then I saw myself passed over, multiple times, for the job I wanted. They kept hiring PhD's from outside the company.

      So I wound up blowing them off, at age 28, and starting in a doctoral program. It was a step down in the wealth ladder for me, but at least I managed to get a half-time teaching gig which also got me a tuition waiver. (This was at a time when if you were an engineering grad student and nobody was paying your way, you really had to ask yourself what you were doing in the program.)

      And that's how I came to work for the research labs of a Very Large Company, and became the overeducated pedant who hangs out here. And I have considerable respect for those who have no degree of any sort but are wise in other things. I can be quite deficient in 'street smarts' sometimes. And my wife tells me that I need a keeper - and I don't argue. She finds the things I lose and remembers the things I forget.
      Thanks goodness for our better haves...and that they allow us our eccentricity's.
    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      socks wrote:

      What I notice from a lot of kids is they don't ask the next pertinent question, when they hit a road block by say investigating a problem with a computer program and are told no at some point...they just stop as if that is the last word, crazy what a little common sense will do and how far it will take you.
      We carefully train any independent inquiry out of them. The schools get more tight-arsed with every generation, and you had better do it just as Teacher says, or else. Even asking the wrong question gets penalized.
      I think that's part of the reason that neofascism is so popular among some of the younger people. They need someone to tell them what to do - because they just know internally that they'll be punished for trying to figure it out themselves. Freedom scares the dickens out of them, because they just know that they can't get it right.

      While we iconoclastic hikers simply know we're doing it all wrong and don't give a rodent's hindquarters. :P
      I learned to fail with much vigor and panache early in life...it's almost second nature at this point. :D
    • chief wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      Yeah, I just read about that. Cool! So now I got three ways to hook up my "devices" to my truck (usb, bluetooth and wifi. Am I missing any?). I'll do that soon as I learn how to use my devices. Or maybe I should learn the radio first! Choices, choices - maybe that's the big draw of electronics.
      Confession - last few months I've made a major leap into technology (I've been a computer guy all along, with a cheap flip-phone). First I bought a big flat screen TV, then I learned if I want real HD I'd need an HD cable box - got it (football season here I come), then I figured out my new TV was wifi ready - so I got a wifi router for my inet connection (NetFlix is great on that big screen). Then to my dismay, I let my best friend talk me into a "smart" phone (kicking and screaming, I tell ya), not so bad after I learned it could hook up to my wifi and now yer telling me I can wifi in my truck. Farcking A!

      If you ever see me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know I've completely lost my mind.

      PS - OnStar just sent me an email with a diagnostic report of my truck. This is getting out of hand!
      its even better! on your smartphone, download the OnStar Remote Link app. this will enable you to remote start your car from your phone, get diagnostic reports right to your phone,check your wifi data package, and order additional packages, check onstar minutes, etc.
      onstar.com/us/en/services/remo…on%20star%20remote%20link
      its all good
    • hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      Yeah, I just read about that. Cool! So now I got three ways to hook up my "devices" to my truck (usb, bluetooth and wifi. Am I missing any?). I'll do that soon as I learn how to use my devices. Or maybe I should learn the radio first! Choices, choices - maybe that's the big draw of electronics.Confession - last few months I've made a major leap into technology (I've been a computer guy all along, with a cheap flip-phone). First I bought a big flat screen TV, then I learned if I want real HD I'd need an HD cable box - got it (football season here I come), then I figured out my new TV was wifi ready - so I got a wifi router for my inet connection (NetFlix is great on that big screen). Then to my dismay, I let my best friend talk me into a "smart" phone (kicking and screaming, I tell ya), not so bad after I learned it could hook up to my wifi and now yer telling me I can wifi in my truck. Farcking A!

      If you ever see me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know I've completely lost my mind.

      PS - OnStar just sent me an email with a diagnostic report of my truck. This is getting out of hand!
      its even better! on your smartphone, download the OnStar Remote Link app. this will enable you to remote start your car from your phone, get diagnostic reports right to your phone,check your wifi data package, and order additional packages, check onstar minutes, etc.onstar.com/us/en/services/remo…on%20star%20remote%20link
      its also cheaper than calling 900 numbers.
    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      socks wrote:

      What I notice from a lot of kids is they don't ask the next pertinent question, when they hit a road block by say investigating a problem with a computer program and are told no at some point...they just stop as if that is the last word, crazy what a little common sense will do and how far it will take you.
      We carefully train any independent inquiry out of them. The schools get more tight-arsed with every generation, and you had better do it just as Teacher says, or else. Even asking the wrong question gets penalized.
      I think that's part of the reason that neofascism is so popular among some of the younger people. They need someone to tell them what to do - because they just know internally that they'll be punished for trying to figure it out themselves. Freedom scares the dickens out of them, because they just know that they can't get it right.

      While we iconoclastic hikers simply know we're doing it all wrong and don't give a rodent's hindquarters. :P
      i think kids need to disconnect whenever possible, to help them get their bearings. they are suffering from information overload, and multitasking has become the norm. i find many younger people have little ability to focus on a single task, and get sidetracked too easily. i think you're right, kevin, i think they crave order being imposed on them, almost grateful for it so that they don't have to think for themselves.
      structuring their time in a way that they can get away from this overstimulation is imho, part of th ekey to enable them to think critically and independently.
      its all good
    • hikerboy wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      socks wrote:

      What I notice from a lot of kids is they don't ask the next pertinent question, when they hit a road block by say investigating a problem with a computer program and are told no at some point...they just stop as if that is the last word, crazy what a little common sense will do and how far it will take you.
      We carefully train any independent inquiry out of them. The schools get more tight-arsed with every generation, and you had better do it just as Teacher says, or else. Even asking the wrong question gets penalized.I think that's part of the reason that neofascism is so popular among some of the younger people. They need someone to tell them what to do - because they just know internally that they'll be punished for trying to figure it out themselves. Freedom scares the dickens out of them, because they just know that they can't get it right.

      While we iconoclastic hikers simply know we're doing it all wrong and don't give a rodent's hindquarters. :P
      i think kids need to disconnect whenever possible, to help them get their bearings. they are suffering from information overload, and multitasking has become the norm. i find many younger people have little ability to focus on a single task, and get sidetracked too easily. i think you're right, kevin, i think they crave order being imposed on them, almost grateful for it so that they don't have to think for themselves.structuring their time in a way that they can get away from this overstimulation is imho, part of th ekey to enable them to think critically and independently.
      yup, thay also suffer from something called...FOMOS, fear of missing out syndrome.

      psychcentral.com/blog/archives…-the-fear-of-missing-out/
    • chief wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Friday night I brought home a brand new 2016 GMC Canyon pickup (to replace my funky xterra). It does not have a radio, it has an "Infotainment System" complete with an 8" touch screen and a users manual that will take me months to get through. Back in the day, when someone swiped your radio, it was gone. Apparently now it's just a screen gesture. Huh?

      I guess I could have saved a bunch of money (did pay cash) with a base truck with just a radio, but then I wouldn't have the coolest truck in the neighborhood. Isn't that what it's all about?
      and built in wifi!!
      Yeah, I just read about that. Cool! So now I got three ways to hook up my "devices" to my truck (usb, bluetooth and wifi. Am I missing any?). I'll do that soon as I learn how to use my devices. Or maybe I should learn the radio first! Choices, choices - maybe that's the big draw of electronics.
      Confession - last few months I've made a major leap into technology (I've been a computer guy all along, with a cheap flip-phone). First I bought a big flat screen TV, then I learned if I want real HD I'd need an HD cable box - got it (football season here I come), then I figured out my new TV was wifi ready - so I got a wifi router for my inet connection (NetFlix is great on that big screen). Then to my dismay, I let my best friend talk me into a "smart" phone (kicking and screaming, I tell ya), not so bad after I learned it could hook up to my wifi and now yer telling me I can wifi in my truck. Farcking A!

      If you ever see me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know I've completely lost my mind.

      PS - OnStar just sent me an email with a diagnostic report of my truck. This is getting out of hand!
      The feature I like the most is remote start from the smart phone. On a really hot day the remote on the key chain was hardly any advantage since you had to be within (x) amount of feet. Now I can start it up anywhere, anytime, any distance. The truck is well cooled off by the time I get there.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.