NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm addicted to NS and admit it. It's not as if I have much better to do when at home with shingles.

HAHAHA! All your thread are belong to me!

Bye.

That's way too long. Why don't you record yourself saying it and post it on youtube. It would really save me some time.

Don't let the e-door hit you in the arse.

This will be possibly one of the longest posts in recent memory. I make no apologies for it; in fact, it is a quite deliberate action on my part. I wish to share a realization I have made recently that explains my impending actions and that hopefully will inspire at least some of you to do the same. I will neither read nor respond to anyone's comments, but I do encourage you to sign out fittingly.
The reason I am leaving is because the internet threatens to take over my life. Already I am finding myself spending far too much time checking email, writing posts, looking on my facebook, reading articles, playing games, looking up random information, and generally wasting time. My mind is becoming overstimulated by the constant electronic input and it is affecting my personality, my study habits, my sleep, and my overall behavior.
China recently came under international scrutiny for attempting to crack down on "internet addiction," a move scoffed at by even such respectable news sources as the New York Times. The response was understandable given China's record on censorship and suppression of information, but a critical analysis of the issue shows that they may indeed have a point. Like any addictive substance or behavior, constant online activity functions by overstimulating one part of the brain at the exclusion of others. This, in fact, is true of virtually any kind of electronic activity: television, video games, even listening to recorded music, if done often enough. I found myself being sucked in to this very same kind of dependence on electronic stimulation, and the effects were so subtle, and so unfortunately commonplace, that I failed to notice it at all.
It took, fittingly enough, a real-life, face-to-face conversation to make me realize what was happening. A friend of mine was telling me that he hadn't gotten an email I had sent him because he was checking his email roughly once a month. Intrigued (I usually check my email three times a day), I inquired further. He mentioned that he had found himself in the very same situation I now face, and he grew tired of it. We ended up discussing the issue at some length, and ended up developing several of the following points.
First, electronic communication is destroying the essence of what communication should be. There is an entire world of facial expressions, body language, and other nuances that a few static emoticons cannot ever replicate. At the same time, even the words themselves are losing their power and their beauty. Vocabulary is shrinking. Text messaging has been scrapping words of even their own letters, and plummeting attention spans have made it so that even a single paragraph, much less an essay such as this, is more than most people are willing to read. Ten one-sentence emails may convey as much factual information, but one good, long, handwritten letter carries far more value, both in terms of comprehensiveness and the richness of the news it contains, and also for the effort and care that went into its creation. The time delay, something anathema to the electronically dependent, further enhances its value; instant gratification ultimately loses its ability to gratify.
And, as communication becomes so much faster, the limiting factor is no longer our ability to communicate, but our ability to generate information to communicate. When we can speak faster than we can think, we too often speak without thinking. Our words lose their meaning and our thoughts turn to the trivial and self-absorbed when we become so eager to speak that we cease to question whether or not what we have to say is worth being heard. It has been said that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason; but with two eyes and ten fingers, the battle seems to be shifting in the wrong direction.
Yet another problem is that we are so dependent upon our technological non-necessities that we can no longer function without them. Tell an average American child to spend a week without TV, video games, internet, or cell phone, and they will spend a miserable week. It used to be that they could at least recover from the withdrawal, but these days the rate of electronic stimulation is so high, and we are so saturated with it from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, and even in our sleep, that we know little else. Our brains, one of the masterpieces of multifunctionality, are being conditioned to do one thing, and to do it ceaselessly and rapidly. We are depriving ourselves of entire realms of experience because of our craving for that hyperstimulation that only electronic input can provide. We are neglecting our physical health (as we become more sedentary, obesity and insomnia result), our mental health (our electronic addiction fuels personality changes, short temper, impulsiveness, inattentiveness, and apathy), and our social health (the art of personal interaction is fading under a tsunami of text messages, emails, Myspace pokes, and online debates; a friend is just a face on a list).
And what, exactly, are we losing as a result of this one-track obsession that is consuming us? We are losing the ability to stop and enjoy things as they happen. I once spent an entire day sitting in one spot in the woods, learning to know it. I grew bored rapidly, even as I was able to enjoy it on a certain level. I have not had the opportunity to try it again, but I know that, with practice, it could come to be one of the great experiences of my life. It sounds bizarre to even many dedicated outdoors enthusiasts, but there is a kind of magic that emerges from it that can never be even remotely imitated by electronic means. Likewise, there is no longer, for many people, the gratification that comes with doing something yourself. In tandem with the wires that continually bring us information, we now have ways to continually bring us our very survival needs. The convenience society means that people hardly ever even cook dinner anymore, for instance. Nobody makes things because they can't be bothered to, and they would rather spend money to delegate the experience. To a certain extent, this makes sense (we can't do everything ourselves), but when one's diet suddenly consists of Hot Pockets and drive-through so that the eater doesn't have to waste precious time away from their cathode-ray tubes, something is clearly wrong.
I see that very fate approaching me, even as I take certain steps to try to mitigate the worst of it. However, no disease can be truly cured by treating the most superficial of its symptoms. The only way to change myself is to break free of the feedback cycle of behavior that is turning me into a brain in a jar, with wires bringing input in and other wires bringing input out. I want to be able to experience the feeling of the air pressure changing as the clouds roll in. I want to be able to spend an hour contemplating the motions of ants and never once wonder what's on TV. I want to be able to sleep soundly through the night and feel awake, refreshed, and excited to start my day in the morning. I want to experience a world far beyond the ten diagonal inches of my computer monitor, the twenty-four inches of my television, and the speaker of my cell phone, and I want to be able to experience that world on its own terms, in its own less-hurried, less-stressful style. I want to live again the way I was meant to.

This was a two-page essay. If you are still reading, then this means that you still have enough attention left to break free yourself. If you have cheated and scrolled all the way down to read this part, start helping yourself and read this from the top.

OK, see you in a few weeks. ;)

So wait, are you really leaving, or did you just post your essay on internet addiction? I don't even know who you are!:(

That's way too long. Why don't you record yourself saying it and post it on youtube. It would really save me some time.
I remember you once saying you don't like people who babble on Youtube.;)

Is it ironic that they spent so long writing a message board post on why they are addicted to the internet?

*warps*

You stay away with your shingles!
Gwahahaha!

*Infects thread*

I'm addicted to NS and admit it. It's not as if I have much better to do when at home with shingles.

HAHAHA! All your thread are belong to me!

You stay away with your shingles!

I remember you once saying you don't like people who babble on Youtube.;)

I also don't like people who post really long articles that I don't have the time, interest or attention span to read. At least the youtube option is over quicker.

This was a two-page essay. If you are still reading, then this means that you still have enough attention left to break free yourself. If you have cheated and scrolled all the way down to read this part, start helping yourself and read this from the top.

You do what you must, but not reading that has nothing to do with attention span. You just really aren't that talented of a writer. If you were going to take the time to write two pages- you should have bothered to add some creative analogies, some witty prose, or perhaps just a striking quote or two.

You're probably over-exagerating a tad.

paragraphs!

Definitely needs paragraphs...
Smunkee's totally right on this one.

OK, see you in a few weeks. ;)

You have a brilliant awareness of the nature of the internet, NSG in particular.

Ilaer

while youre gone you should read up on the value of adding an empty line between paragraphs when posting on internet forums.

-snip-
paragraphs!

Oh, and my post was longer. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12424570&postcount=73) :p

Ilaer

Am I the only one that read the whole thing?

Tl;dr.



Actually, I did. Whilst eating a dinner I cooked myself. So nah-nah-na-nah-nah. And a 10-inch computer monitor? How very 1980s ;p

Oh, and a goodbye thread? You've only been here five minutes!

Kaybai!

Am I the only one that read the whole thing?

i certainly hope so!

i quit when he started talking about china.

Is it just me or is this thread suffering from major timewarps even by the standard of Jolt?

Ilaer

i certainly hope so!

i quit when he started talking about china.

I quit after the first few lines and skipped to the bottom looking for the ever so ironic and not-really-quite-clever punchline, which duly appeared.

So see you in...what...a week?

Am I the only one that read the whole thing?

I only got halfway through before I realised I really didn't care much to finish it.

So see you in...what...a week?
He's only been here three months, he might stay gone. Three months seems pretty short to rest the back of your hand on your forehead and 'woe is me' and then try and lambast us for not reading some essay. We'll read a lot of crap, like...a lot, but you're competing with all that other crap, so, you know...be interesting.

I just realized I changed who I was addressing halfway through that. Meh, I'll leave it...

He's right, you know.

That said, kthxbai I bagsy ur office lawl. (Who said change had to be bad?)

-- Envoy of the Nova.

He's right, you know.

That said, kthxbai I bagsy ur office lawl. (Who said change had to be bad?)

-- Envoy of the Nova.

Hmm, a UN tradition that could work here. Who'd have thought it!

*steals office chair*

I gotta disagree with your theory, although it does have a valid point.
Seriously, the whole "OMG electronics are taking us over! OMG obesity! OMG Kids not playing outside! OMG chat language![no pun intended]" craze is overexaggerated, just like the "10,000 species go extinct every day" thing.

It's just the world changing, like it's supposed to. Language changes in new situations. Celtic and Latin blended in the expansion of the Roman Empire, sure some Celts might have been unhappy, but 2000 years after the fact, we couldn't care less, it's just a part of our language. Two thousand years from now, "lol" could replace cumbersome and sometimes awkward phrases such as "very funny".

The reason everyone thinks that electronicæ (coined a term there) are so bad is because they're different.

I have a lot to say about this, but i'll break it up into small sections for y'all's short a'ention spans.

Can we ban the "I am leaving" threads? Just go. We'll think you died and be more sorry for you than after reading these horrible sophomoric essays...

i never realized how easy it is to convey that sense of impending insanity that i think hes is going for by by simply avoiding line breaks. its very effective.

Quite true. A lack of punctuation doesn't hurt either. ;)

Return.

Enter.

All Work And No Play Make Jack A Dull Boy.

I quit after the first few lines and skipped to the bottom looking for the ever so ironic and not-really-quite-clever punchline, which duly appeared.

i never realized how easy it is to convey that sense of impending insanity that i think hes is going for by by simply avoiding line breaks. its very effective.

I gotta disagree with your theory, although it does have a valid point.
Seriously, the whole "OMG electronics are taking us over! OMG obesity! OMG Kids not playing outside! OMG chat language![no pun intended]" craze is overexaggerated, just like the "10,000 species go extinct every day" thing.

It's just the world changing, like it's supposed to. Language changes in new situations. Celtic and Latin blended in the expansion of the Roman Empire, sure some Celts might have been unhappy, but 2000 years after the fact, we couldn't care less, it's just a part of our language. Two thousand years from now, "lol" could replace cumbersome and sometimes awkward phrases such as "very funny".

The reason everyone thinks that electronicæ (coined a term there) are so bad is because they're different.

I have a lot to say about this, but i'll break it up into small sections for y'all's short a'ention spans.

thank you. my attention span was ruined by OMG sesame street!! its not my fault.

Was that poll your work, New Burmesia? This is an interesting development...

*strokes chin*

Was that poll your work, New Burmesia? This is an interesting development...

*strokes chin*

There was no Mod tampering, so it would have to be one of the thread starters.

thank you. my attention span was ruined by OMG sesame street!! its not my fault.

My advice: Sue BigByrd. Someone must pay for your phsychological reconstruction, even if it means he loses his 1 room pile of sticks.

There was no Mod tampering, so it would have to be one of the thread starters.

Mmm, New Burmesia's post has been at the front of the thread since the beginning - so I'm guessing he's just discovered jolt thinks he's the OP?

This was a two-page essay. If you are still reading, then this means that you still have enough attention left to break free yourself. If you have cheated and scrolled all the way down to read this part, start helping yourself and read this from the top.

Kid, I didn't even read past the first sentence..

Was that poll your work, New Burmesia? This is an interesting development...

*strokes chin*

There was no Mod tampering, so it would have to be one of the thread starters.

Mmm, New Burmesia's post has been at the front of the thread since the beginning - so I'm guessing he's just discovered jolt thinks he's the OP?

I just decided to do the time warp, that's all.;)

did anyone read that OP? Too long for me, I'll just assume that s/he is leaving because they have an important mission at NASA coming up and will be back if the shuttle doesn't blow up this time.

3/1 odds on his being back in a week.
Well, it's either here or the Priory.

And it seems I have tine warped yet again.

3/1 odds on his being back in a week.

My advice: Sue BigByrd. Someone must pay for your phsychological reconstruction, even if it means he loses his 1 room pile of sticks.

it is my right as an american to sue anyone over anything.

....

what were we talking about?

i read it all, presuming he had summit good to say...

he didn't... :(

paragraphs!
It's too late, my eyes are bleeding!

i read it all, presuming he had summit good to say...

he didn't... :(

the formatting should have given you a clue.

where have you been? i havent seen a post by you in ages. (no you have no big reason to remember me)

I remember you once saying you don't like people who babble on Youtube.;)

Exactly. Then nobody would ever have to look at it.

I'm confused:confused: post is too long.

10" monitor and 24" TV? No wonder this guy's pissed off.

Also, is anyone else disturbed that the OP is post #5? I had no idea wtf was going on until I scrolled down a bit.

So, the guy's got a point, sorta. I mean, whenever anything becomes cheap to produce there's going to be a lot of crap produced along with the good stuff, and sorting through it all takes time. But trying to ignore it isn't going to help or make it go away. Just like the industrial revolution and others before this one, it's time for humans to adapt to a new environment. If you went back to 1850 and brought people who lived then back to now, they'd be absolutely incapable of driving a car and would probably shit themselves if they were taken for a ride on the freeway, but over time some of those people would be able to comprehend and adapt. The others would just have to wear diapers all the time. On a similar vein, learning to sort through a bunch of worthless crap to obtain what you're looking for is a skill. Some have it, some *cough*myspace!*cough*hack* don't, and they get hung up on meaningless bullshit and waste a good portion of their lives on nothing at all. This phenomenon existed long before the Internet, though. Charles Dickens is, for some reason, considered a classic author and soap operas were popular long before computer networks and cell phones became commonplace.

I was gonna finish this, but my hyperstimulated brain's desire for instant gratification has caused my attention to wander (that and the fact that I have a million other things I ought to be doing right now), and since he's not gonna read it anyway, I think I'm gonna cut this short and go buy stock in Huggies.

EDIT: This is weak. There was a whole nother paragraph that I had written about how the essence of communication wasn't being destroyed, but tapped and how words weren't losing their expressiveness or power, but gaining beauty and power through increased discourse and more varied perspective that somehow got lost. But since you all have such short attention spans, you probably wouldn't have read it anyhow.

OP:

Don't know who you are.
Don't care that you're leaving.
Won't care when you return.
See yah in the funny papers.

Also, is anyone else disturbed that the OP is post #5? I had no idea wtf was going on until I scrolled down a bit.

Nah, we're used to this kind of thing.

the formatting should have given you a clue.

where have you been? i havent seen a post by you in ages. (no you have no big reason to remember me)

oh i just like to show up every few months and make a post and then leave! never could keep up with NSG...

who knows... maybe i'll make a FEW posts this time!

oh i just like to show up every few months and make a post and then leave! never could keep up with NSG...

who knows... maybe i'll make a FEW posts this time!

:fluffle: :fluffle:

:fluffle: :fluffle:

thou hast smilie spammed... thou shalt be eliminated!

thou hast smilie spammed... thou shalt be eliminated!

It's Ifreann. We all love him.
If you want to eliminate him you'll have to get through me first. :D
As a member of the NBCyIPsW party I'm duty-bound to protect him.

Ilaer

thou hast smilie spammed... thou shalt be eliminated!
Eh....thou shalt not eliminate on Beer Day
It's Ifreann. We all love him.
If you want to eliminate him you'll have to get through me first. :D
As a member of the NBCyIPsW party I'm duty-bound to protect him.

Ilaer

Wooo, people to take a bullet for me, awesome.

Eh....thou shalt not eliminate on Beer Day


Wooo, people to take a bullet for me, awesome.

Wait... people are going to be shooting things?
*runs*

Ilaer

Eh....thou shalt not eliminate on Beer Day


Wooo, people to take a bullet for me, awesome.

i am the announcer of Beer Day and by eliminated, i of course mean... Drinkinated!! *gets the beers*

i am the announcer of Beer Day and by eliminated, i of course mean... Drinkinated!! *gets the beers*

Huzzah! This piss-up will last for 1000 beers!

I'm addicted to NS and admit it. It's not as if I have much better to do when at home with shingles.

HAHAHA! All your thread are belong to me!

*funky music*

Do the time warp.

*dances*