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Luddites and the surge of Y2K aesthetics.

Posted by Movingnowhere

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Forum: General

Chances are, if you're reading this and I mean really reading not just skimming, you know what a Luddite is, and if you know what a Luddite is, you probably consider yourself one, or you could just a be nerd. But if you're neither, a Luddite is simply a person who dislikes modern technology. It dates wayyy back. Now it's kind of silly to think about a pilgrim that's upset because "the new wagons are just too safe for our children." But fast forward to today's world and it doesn't seem so silly anymore. I'm sure you've already noticed, but people are becoming less interested in the real world has to offer. I mean, I'm posting this to an online forum rather than talking about it with a real person, because people don't like hearing about it, but it's everywhere. The second there's a stop in conversation or activity, people pull out their phones, and once you start just letting yourself sit there instead, you realize how sad it is.

A year or so ago I deleted all social media and games off my phone. I feel more sharp creative and alive than I ever have. But I'd like to hear specifically from this website. I've noticed a connection between my Luddite attitude and my attraction to aesthetics from the 90s and 2000s. I figure some of you guys share that with me. How do you guys feel about social media? Do you use AI, if so how? Where do you think this is all taking us?


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Reply by ☆゚.*CosmicOcean*.゚☆

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I have mixed feelings and can see pros and cons. This site in particular is based off one of the very first social media platforms, and the internet has always been great for learning about and from other people around the world. Most social media now isn't it. It's all fake, superficial, and people arguing about things they don't fully understand and have no desire to learn about/understand

I haven't used AI much, but some of the chat ones can be helpful with writer's block. I know it can be used for a lot of good things, particularly in the medical field, but there's always the uneasy feeling with how the military will implement it

I can't be certain where it's taking us, but it seems like we're going closer to a cyberpunk dystopia than any type of solarpunk utopia


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Reply by Movingnowhere

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Well said, and I totally know what you mean. I've been in multiple different echo chambers, just in my time on TikTok, it was obviously pretty bad, even 10 years ago, but I think it all snowballed during Covid. It's probably just the fact that I was 12 in 2019, but things didn't feel as dystopian, or Cyberpunky to me then.


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Reply by parasite

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you're living the dream! ive been trying to get loose of the modern tech for a while now. partially why I came to this website. I had never heard that term before so I appreciate the info. Social media specifically the hyper ai algorithm is detremental to mental health. Imo we need to return to the era of websites from pre 2016, algorithems would exist but the way they existed was not so empty, modern websites like TikTok, Instagram, and even Facebook now thrive off of doomscrolling. Algorithems claim to be tailored to your individuality but in reality all they do is crush your individuality by showing you what they believe they can profit off of. I think we are going to see a old tech revival just as we saw records and cds come back, I think other forms of media such as customizable, forum, blog type sites like this, old tech such as flip phones, mp3 players, walkman, etc.


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Reply by Ghosty64

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Personally, I would not at-all consider myself a Luddite (or even a Neo-Luddite) for various reasons.
Luddism is a lot more reactionary, destructive, and regressive than what I think should happen. As you say with the part about "I hate these less-safe wagons," obviously modern medicine has been an absolute boon to our lives.

But with regard to Luddism on simple things like phones, I don't think it's the phones themselves. I like that I have a larger screen than my old flip-phone, I enjoy that I can watch videos on it in high-resolution, and I enjoy that I can use it as a flashlight. I also enjoy that I can use it as a GPS when walking. Not only that, I can communicate with people on the internet no matter where I am.

The desire to "go backwards" from my perspective is solved by the site we're on. It's social media. SpaceHey is better than most other forms of social media, because it is not algorithmically providing content to you. The benefit of this is that it does not incentivize rage-baiting, and it also does not force you to be constantly sucked-in to it.

Algorithmically-generated social media, because it's based-on engagement, makes the lowest common denominator of content become the most prevalent. Why? Because it appeals to everyone and is dumbed-down. It's an awfully cynical thing to say, but I think it's true. You can spread misinformation, so long as it's catchy and advertisable, incredibly fast on modern social media.

Such a thing is simply not as possible on a site like SpaceHey and other forum-based social media platforms that are inspired by the days of old. People can definitely still lie, but it won't spread like the plague. Not only that, there is not a gigantic algorithm dictating what you see. You go to things manually.

With regard to seeing people in real-life who keep using their phones whilst you're talking, hanging, or otherwise doing something; I have great agreement with that. It's pretty annoying, even if I have been guilty myself of that. I would love to hang-out more with people in a populated area doing real-world activities. (I kinda live in the middle of nowhere)

I don't have a desire to use an older phone, however, because I use my smartphone somewhat responsibly. I don't have notifications turned on for BlueSky or SpaceHey. I have to check manually every-now-and-then when I want to see something. I am not endlessly bombarded with "content." I need a smartphone for my niche interests, videos, GPS, etc. That's simply not easily accessible for the common-person on an older cellphone. (I grew up with flip-phones, Blackberrys, etc.)


Essentially, my perspective is not that of Luddism. My perspective is that of responsible use. I avoid more-irresponsible social media like the plague (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok).
We can still use modern technology, but companies ought to be greatly restricted from their existing algorithmically-addicting content that has demonstrably harmed the world. Nobody can agree on a shared set of facts to represent reality anymore.

I don't feel too strongly on "aesthetics," really, though. I think a lot of modern technology still looks cool, just like I think some old technology looks cool. But for me, I grew up with stuff that is now "retro," so it's not really this mythical thing that it is for a lot of younger-GenZers. (GameBoy Color, CRT screens, VHS tapes)


As for AI, I generally try to not use it. I don't use it to generate images, certainly. But I already wasn't using Siri on iPhone to any real extent either. 

I do worry about our future for jobs with it, since I don't imagine that many governments are eager to implement retraining or UBI as things currently stand. It's really complicated. AI can be a tool for good, but a lot of untalented people are not using it that way. Furthermore, it's going to be employed by some really terrible people, and to some extent it already has been.


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Reply by s0lidstatesurviv0r

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A Luddite is simply a person who dislikes modern technology. It dates wayyy back. 

Not to get all "ermmm actually" here, but this is a bit of a generalization, and I feel the need to elaborate because during my time in primary school, they made Luddites out to just be a bunch of crazies.

The Luddites were rooted in pro-labor movements. They didn't inherently dislike technology or progress in general; they hated the ways in which industrialization was being used to take jobs and economic opportunities.

What you're describing would be more akin to the Amish. The Amish's disdain for technology is based more in religion (spiritualism), and people being unable to live in the moment without a phone is an issue of the soul rather than capital. The Amish do not outright reject technology, but they are very particular about what they choose to allow.

I think some variation of the Amish's approach would be the best way to go about things. Technological advancements are so quick and just dropped on society one after another with little regard to how it could adversely impact the world. A theoretical breakaway society that waits to see how these new technologies impact general society before adopting/rejecting them would be ideal.

It makes sense why the types of people on here and other more niche corners of the internet would have both a disdain for modern tech and an affinity for past aesthetics. It's either people who fondly remember that time of their lives or people born after who have a very rose tinted perspective of the time before them. If you are someone who views the present as perfectly fine, then you’re probably on the sites that are in-vogue and don’t give much time to dwell on the past.

There are many types of interactions to be had with people, but none are more impactful than the ability to comfortably sit in silence with someone else. No cell phones, no need to make small talk for the sake of it, just vibing. 


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Reply by Movingnowhere

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Yeah, now that I look back on it, I definitely was generalizing haha. I never really imagined myself aligning with the Amish on anything. But yeah, I totally agree, my biggest gripe with phones and social media is how they impede our interactions.


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Reply by ✶Rib𓆩𓁺𓆪Eye Black Dragon✶

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While I didn't skim through your post, I did with others' replies here, so I won't be echoing from what I've assumed had already said. 

It's not just you. Internet Addiction is a real problem and not anyone is willing to work it out. Yes, it also impedes my already stunted social skills, and I'm not excusing my asocial trait. I feel less like a normal person after the surge of smartphones in the 2000s.

Also, corporate data mining and data breaches, those are a problem too and I'm working on to lessen my social media consumption. It's hard because my friend cricles irl glued their nose on the tiny black brick.



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Reply by Movingnowhere

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Yeah, I totally feel you on that last bit, it feels so isolating :(


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