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subrosa wrote

One of the strongest points critical of technology I heard from anti-civ folks (probably Zerzan) is rather simple: It really isn't a choice for the individual. People who rejected personal computers and cell phones were ultimately left behind, disconnected. Society digitized and moved on without them. It's an alienating affair, whether you participate or not. Nothing neutral about that.

I first got to experience that in my stubborn refusal to get a myspace account (or rather, the short-lived Austrian equivalent of it), and I'm reminded of it when used-to-be friends meet up via online gaming, or when people older than me get into crypto trading. Now what is this "metaverse" shit, and can we please set it on fire?

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edmund_the_destroyer wrote

So, as fucked up as the internet is, it benefited me. I was raised an American Christian conservative, and now I'm an atheist and some kind of leftist. Most of my education that led me to reject my upbringing came from the internet, and without it I think I would have just become a repeat of my parents - who are a repeat of their parents.

I don't know. Maybe the world as a whole would be better off with no internet, even if it means that I personally remained a bigger asshole than I am now.

But you're definitely right that there's no way to escape the technology trends.

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ziq OP wrote (edited )

just wait until everyone is forced to rent virtual land on facebook metaverse to continue to function in society

cuz 1 landlord wasn't enough

zucc is gonna need to make sure his virtual mansion is fire retardant

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Twoeyes wrote

Don't worry, soon enough they'll start giving incentives to come live in their pods.

So they can rent out your unused synapses, for distributed computing.

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[deleted] wrote

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AnarcheAmor wrote

The issue isn't that technology alienates people as much as humans have, throughout our history, used various societal advancements to alienate and leave behind "undesirables". The current state of technology is very much the product of the authoritarian-capitalist environment it was raised up in.

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moonlune wrote

is alienation really a bad thing thought?

Like, let your friendships be ephemeral and if they need to, burn your bridges. Leave the people who don't appeal to you anymore. And don't feel bad when people leave you.

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AnarcheAmor wrote

There's a difference between alienation and separation due to various circumstances. Alienation involves othering and a subsequent segregation. Take how technology, as opposed to being utilized as a means of improving the quality of life of everyone, is seen as a luxury item for those that can pay for it, making the absence of it a marker of being low class. Further, those who thrive without technology are often portrayed as being alien in some way, having qualities that "normal" people don't have to the point that people aren't capable of seeing themselves as having the ability to thrive without tech. This is intentional as tech became another way for higher powers to oppress people. So alienation is never good, it's oppression.

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kin wrote

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Erinna_Io wrote

Zucc is trying jack us into his own little world. Guess the Squid Games are coming soon. It's Great Reset, folks. The new system, the actual new world order will be installed on your head. We have been prepared for the never-ending virtual hellscape. The VR-helmet will be nailed to our heads and if you take it off, you'll be eliminated. In no time some social credit system will be installed. Or maybe we'll be forced to stay inside because of another simulated pandemic...

Guess nutjobs like Nick Land were right; we are going into absolutist monarchy of the techbros. That is the capitalism 2.0. Nobody will even pretend that there is some mythical democracy going on. People will forget whatever human rights meant. Most will just accept it. Boomer-politicians (whose brains have been eaten by worms now) sign the new laws and give all the power to the new aristocracy.

And because this is the Capitalist Realism after all, we'll go there watching docs and series of our own demise. Squid Game, Children of Men, Altered Carbon... pick your choice of doomerist media. But predictive programming it is. It has always been that. The camera points us our direction. Dystopia is just a roadmap and the elite uses it and then openly and proudly shows their creation and says:"This is what happens to you, poor peasants!" It is the wrath of our new Gods and we act like good-fearing Christians praying for salvation on our black mirror altars. But the gods won't listen, they are too amused by our slave-like behavior and willingness to play their games. And soon they make us play the game constantly. Just a few steps to right direction and we are in a place which even good ol' Ted K. couldn't have imagined.

Our only hope is that the whole shit goes down soon. Just hope the Apocalypse for Christmas. It'll be good for you and your children. Anything is better than the Metaverse waiting around the corner.

Or maybe it's already here and we missed our moment.

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