People Nowadays

PJ_Soul

I was tempted to be very annoyed about people doing this, but then I thought to myself 'fuck it, why do I care if these people are ruining their own concert experience?' So I don't. As long as someone doesn't have their phone held up right in front of me (if they do I politely tap them and ask them to lower or move the thing - no one has been an asshole about that yet), I don't find a bunch of small blueish squares of light in the crowd very annoying. I'm focused on the stage.

In MT I got all of 3 photos and maybe 4 minutes of video in 20 second snippets (half of that of the crowd). That is plenty to capture the feel and visual memory of the show I think, and without really bothering others behind me if they mind that kind of thing. But you know, I have watched all the full song footage from that show on youtube and was really glad it existed. I'm happy people do that. What I don't get is why all those people who can't get GOOD footage and sound try and film so much. They know good footage will be posted online, so why not relax, enjoy the show, instead of making shitty distorted vids all night? But whatever, their loss, not mine.... although I do feel for those who are bothered by it, and more, I feel for the artists who are offended by it. I get it.

What I find REALLY offensive are those meet and greet people who stick cameras inn people's faces (with flash!!!). I would personally never try and meet famous people like that because I find it really a awkward and weird and kind of embarrassing, but for those who do, I find it insanely dehumanizing for the star when people just start taking photos instead of shaking their hand and just talking to them like human beings. It's really pathetic.

even flow - question mark

cincybearcat wrote:

I usually get my phone out 1 or 2 times to take a quick picture or quick video. Probably all of 2 minutes total I would think. I just find it a pain in the ass to do it for that 2 minutes anyhow so why bother with more?

Why, cause your friends just wouldn't believe you were there with just the stories about how good the show was?

I had a guy in Montreal video the whole fucking show. But with me beside him, bumping him most of the night, I don't think that his video was too steady. Sucker!

whygohome

cincybearcat wrote:

People only think of themselves and their wants and needs. That is the root cause. All the other stuff (cell phones, you tube, facebook, etc) just provide the means for them.

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

Jeanwah

callen wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

MANKIND wrote:

its herd behavior!

“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion”.Chinese Proverb

:ugeek:

"Even a dead fish can swim with the current." Hghtower

As to your original post, humans are told that they are special and that the world evolves around them. Become selfish and self absorbed. Face book, twitter, constant texting validates this need to feel special.

Who tells them this? If it's the media, (and it is) then kill the damn television. If it's teachers, then they're not really teaching anything valuable, like learning to think critically. Facebook and twitter, as well as texts, were developed to keep in touch with people, not for the sake of being narcissistic. I don't buy it. No one is "special", and the sooner folks realize this, the sooner they stop thinking of only themselves.

While I agree Facebook is now about showing off, it was originally intended to simply keep in touch with people we know. What's become of it is that it's now a narcisstic vehicle. But I use it to keep up on bands I love and to actually keep in touch with friends that aren't local.

Jeanwah

brianlux wrote:

It really is a good idea to leave all the electronic gadgets behind once in. A day pack with water, compass, a few energy bars, a basic first aid kit, dry matches and at least a few miles of walking away from civilization works wonders.

That and going to a show with nothing on your person except ID and a few bucks and your keys.

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

blackredyellow

whygohome wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

People only think of themselves and their wants and needs. That is the root cause. All the other stuff (cell phones, you tube, facebook, etc) just provide the means for them.

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

While true for Facebook, Twitter is a pretty powerful tool that doesn't have to be about attention and narcissism (although it can be). Like a lot of people, I was glued to the TV on Sunday night watching coverage of the storm. I was also on twitter the whole time. It was remarkable how far ahead (hours in some cases) that people on twitter were in both getting information out, and debunking some the crap that the networks went on the air with without verifying.

PJ_Soul

whygohome wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

People only think of themselves and their wants and needs. That is the root cause. All the other stuff (cell phones, you tube, facebook, etc) just provide the means for them.

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

That aspiration to be famous fact is definitely disturbing. And there is definitely a lot of narcissism happening on social media. But I would like to mention that there are great things going onninnFacebook and Twitter too. Friends and family who don't see each other much can stay in closer and more frequent touch and share photos and experiences, causes and charities are bolstered and supported, crimes solved, even. Facebooknhas been really important in catching and charging a bunch of people from the Vancouver riot, for example. And people find a lot of support from others with similar issues on social media. I have a friend whom had postpartum, and I don't know what she would have done without the support she found through anfacebook group. Also, I use twitter almost exclusively for music/PJ news and info and to keep up on current events (with a tiny bit of silliness in between). It's a great way to connect with others who have matching interests, so that we can all share in that interest. I think that's awesome. Not to mention the usefulness of real time during events, be they bad (riots, natural disasters, etc), or good (a pearl jam show, the Olympics, a hockey game, etc). Just wanted to say that so the medium isn't unfairly vilified based on just one part of the whole. Social media can be shitty, but it can also be great and used for enrichment.

whygohome

blackredyellow wrote:

whygohome wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

People only think of themselves and their wants and needs. That is the root cause. All the other stuff (cell phones, you tube, facebook, etc) just provide the means for them.

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

While true for Facebook, Twitter is a pretty powerful tool that doesn't have to be about attention and narcissism (although it can be). Like a lot of people, I was glued to the TV on Sunday night watching coverage of the storm. I was also on twitter the whole time. It was remarkable how far ahead (hours in some cases) that people on twitter were in both getting information out, and debunking some the crap that the networks went on the air with without verifying.

Don't get me wrong, there's value in facebook and Twitter....but my comment was focused more on their misuse, which i feel is they way they are used by the large majority.

Drowned Out

blackredyellow wrote:

whygohome wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

People only think of themselves and their wants and needs. That is the root cause. All the other stuff (cell phones, you tube, facebook, etc) just provide the means for them.

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

While true for Facebook, Twitter is a pretty powerful tool that doesn't have to be about attention and narcissism (although it can be). Like a lot of people, I was glued to the TV on Sunday night watching coverage of the storm. I was also on twitter the whole time. It was remarkable how far ahead (hours in some cases) that people on twitter were in both getting information out, and debunking some the crap that the networks went on the air with without verifying.

So I guess it just comes down to your own personal taste in social media? The site you use is ok, and the other ones are for selfish douches....? Facebook and twitter are not very different at all.

It's one thing to be annoyed by people who can't live in the moment and are obsessed with their electronics....but the criticisms of facebook people as being self-absorbed celebrity wannabe's is a totally different claim. I think there is a bit of irony there....by coming down on social media with that kind of blanket judgement, they're kinda doing the same thing - elevating the importance of your own personal choice not to participate. In the end, you're just calling your choice of entertainment/downtime superior to someone else's. Non-facebook people seem to love telling everyone how much more in tune with reality they are than facebook users, and how stupid the whole concept of social media is. There has been a new thread about it on the pit every month or two since about 2007.
This website, and pretty much any site that has real-time interaction, can be used in many many different ways...it's just another form of stereotyping to judge people on whether or not they use the site.

Jeanwah

cincybearcat wrote:

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

We need to do a better job of detaching from technology and actually getting out and living. We need to stop thinking of only ourselves and actually caring about other people. We need to get lost in the music because if we didn't love the music, we wouldn't be on this board writing. Obviously we're music lovers, so why do we let the music get in the way of our love for personal gadgets at shows? I know as a society, we're selfish, but there's no reason for these gadgets to get in the way of a great live show. But they do, because people are more focused on the tangible proof of an event over the actual memory of feeling joy of being there. That's where I'm trying to go with this thread.

whygohome

Jeanwah wrote:

cincybearcat wrote:

People are special. But we need to do a better job of thinking about how our actions can affect others negatively.

We need to do a better job of detaching from technology and actually getting out and living.

PJ_Soul

Drowned Out wrote:

blackredyellow wrote:

whygohome wrote:

I second this. Facebook, Twitter, etc,--it's all about attention. "Look at me!! Look at me!!"

The top aspiration of 21st century culture is to be on TV. Wastebook and the like give people something that is at least close to their goal.

While true for Facebook, Twitter is a pretty powerful tool that doesn't have to be about attention and narcissism (although it can be). Like a lot of people, I was glued to the TV on Sunday night watching coverage of the storm. I was also on twitter the whole time. It was remarkable how far ahead (hours in some cases) that people on twitter were in both getting information out, and debunking some the crap that the networks went on the air with without verifying.

So I guess it just comes down to your own personal taste in social media? The site you use is ok, and the other ones are for selfish douches....? Facebook and twitter are not very different at all.

It's one thing to be annoyed by people who can't live in the moment and are obsessed with their electronics....but the criticisms of facebook people as being self-absorbed celebrity wannabe's is a totally different claim. I think there is a bit of irony there....by coming down on social media with that kind of blanket judgement, they're kinda doing the same thing - elevating the importance of your own personal choice not to participate. In the end, you're just calling your choice of entertainment/downtime superior to someone else's. Non-facebook people seem to love telling everyone how much more in tune with reality they are than facebook users, and how stupid the whole concept of social media is. There has been a new thread about it on the pit every month or two since about 2007.
This website, and pretty much any site that has real-time interaction, can be used in many many different ways...it's just another form of stereotyping to judge people on whether or not they use the site.

I use both, and use them for totally different reasons. On Facebook, I am only friends with people I know in real life. It's for more real life shit (just got invited to a football game with 40 friends and friends of friends over fb this morning, and I already know exactly who is and isn't going Also saw a cute photo of my niece ). On twitter, I don't follow, nor am i followed by, anyone from my real life (excluding those I met through this forum). I do find the two very different. But I don't think that one is better than the other beyond personal taste... Facebook has a more intimate and personal feel, which is really good. Twitter is really fun (i do like it over fb at the moment, maybe just because it's new for me still, while fb is old news), more silly, and better allows for the movement of an incredible amount of info and voices between people, which is also really good. While aware of all the pitfalls, I think both Facebook and twitter are amazing tools.

Jeanwah

hedonist wrote:

This past weekend, I was with my mom and sister, talking about my dad's death and how his wife kept some precious items we would have wanted - an old camera, his watch, some photos. But then, it really comes down to the intangible we retain - our memories. The other stuff...is just stuff.

I guess people have become more narcissistic (or have better means of displaying it?). The whole concept of twitter - following - and Facebook - liking - it's just so...strange to me.

Anyway, good post here, Jeanwah. Got me thinking this morning - perhaps a bit too much, but not a bad thing at all.

The bolded part, exactly hedonist! I wonder how many people are really going to remember numerous aspects of shows they spent behind their cameras/phones. There's so much to experience at shows and everywhere really, if we're just actually fully present. Much more to remember, to feel, etc.

And I think the idea of feeling is a huge part of it too. So when we're attached to our selfish tendencies and our portable devices, we're not feeling anything. And what's the point of living if we don't feel?

"I don't wanna think, I wanna feel, And how do I feel?"

Jeanwah

blackredyellow wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

Same goes for meeting celebrities. No longer are meet and greets about talking to your idols; it's become nothing but having tangible proof that you were in the same room together. I was at a meet and greet last week and no one said a word to the person I met; people were more interested in autographs and photos rather than actually asking how he was doing. And let me tell you, he was uncomfortable as hell being there, which is odd because he's so comfortable talking to people otherwise (you can't really shut him up, on stage and out and about).

I have a "friend" on facebook... a guy who I went to high school with 20 years ago, and haven't talked to since. I have no idea what he does for a living, but he seems to be a professional meet & greeter, for b-list celebrities. He has literally hundreds of pictures with people (many of which I don't know). I just don't see the point... "Hey, I waited in line to get a picture with an actor who played a support character on a 90's sitcom, aren't you jealous?"

Creepy.

Drowned Out

PJ_Soul wrote:

I use both, and use them form totally different reasons. On Facebook, I am only friends with people I know in real life. It's for more real life shit (just got invited to a football game with 40 friends and friends of friends over fb this morning, and I already know exactly who is and isn't going Also saw a cute photo of my niece ). On twitter, I don't follow, nor am in followed by, anyone from my real life (excluding those I met through this forum). In do find the two very different. But I don't think that one is better than the other beyond pernal taste... Facebook has a more intimate and personal feel, which is really good. Twitter is really fun, more silly, and better allows for the movement of an incredible amount of info and voices between people, which is also really good. While aware of all the pitfalls, I think both Facebook and twitter are amazing tools.

But that's just how you choose to use them.....what I meant is that the platform is not all that different.
If you were only fb friends with the celebs and PJ people from your twitter, your feeds would probably look pretty similar. You'd even see a lot of repeated information on the pit if you put everyone but your friends on ignore. I think criticizing social media,like criticizing alcohol/drugs or tv or sports or casual sex or any other form of entertainment, instead of criticizing the addictive behaviour, is silly....and calling fb stupid but twitter important is taking that silliness to a new level.

PJ_Soul

Jeanwah wrote:

brianlux wrote:

It really is a good idea to leave all the electronic gadgets behind once in. A day pack with water, compass, a few energy bars, a basic first aid kit, dry matches and at least a few miles of walking away from civilization works wonders.

That and going to a show with nothing on your person except ID and a few bucks and your keys.

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

I prefer the convenience and security of a phone and the freedom to turn it off or not answer it when I don't want to be tracked down. But I do think it sucks that parents' leashes have become too short. I guess a lot of kids might not be allowed to just turn off or not answer. Yes, that is lame.

Jeanwah

PJ_Soul wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

brianlux wrote:

It really is a good idea to leave all the electronic gadgets behind once in. A day pack with water, compass, a few energy bars, a basic first aid kit, dry matches and at least a few miles of walking away from civilization works wonders.

That and going to a show with nothing on your person except ID and a few bucks and your keys.

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

I prefer the convenience and security of a phone and the freedom to turn it off or not answer it when I don't want to be tracked down.

And in what way does having a cell phone truly make one secure?

PJ_Soul

Jeanwah wrote:

PJ_Soul wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

I prefer the convenience and security of a phone and the freedom to turn it off or not answer it when I don't want to be tracked down.

And in what way does having a cell phone truly make one secure?

You can call 911 if you're in trouble in any way, call AAA if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and call someone or consult GPS if you're lost, and police can trace your signal if you've disappeared, as in been reported missing. (Again, all search and rescue crews advise everyone going into the woods or out on the ocean, especially alone, to carry a cell phone or satellite phone in case of emergency). They are very useful.

Jeanwah

PJ_Soul wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

brianlux wrote:

It really is a good idea to leave all the electronic gadgets behind once in. A day pack with water, compass, a few energy bars, a basic first aid kit, dry matches and at least a few miles of walking away from civilization works wonders.

That and going to a show with nothing on your person except ID and a few bucks and your keys.

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

I prefer the convenience and security of a phone and the freedom to turn it off or not answer it when I don't want to be tracked down. But I do think it sucks that parents' leashes have become too short. I guess a lot of kids might not be allowed to just turn off or not answer. Yes, that is lame.

See, you are a part of that Y generation, the generation that grew up with cell phones. You don't know what life is like without the internet of a portable smart phone... It was a lot more freer to not be attached to these things, let me tell you. Public telephones were the norm and were quite available when needed.

PJ_Soul

Jeanwah wrote:

PJ_Soul wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

:thumbup: Couldn't agree more. That's why I think it's a generational thing. Kids of the 90s and before remember what it was like without having to be attached to a phone. It was great. No one could track us down and that freedom meant everything. I prefer that any day over being tracked.

I prefer the convenience and security of a phone and the freedom to turn it off or not answer it when I don't want to be tracked down. But I do think it sucks that parents' leashes have become too short. I guess a lot of kids might not be allowed to just turn off or not answer. Yes, that is lame.

See, you are a part of that Y generation, the generation that grew up with cell phones. You don't know what life is like without the internet of a portable smart phone... It was a lot more freer to not be attached to these things, let me tell you. Public telephones were the norm and were quite available when needed.

Huh? I'm generation X. I didn't get my first cell phone until in was 26. I was born in 1976 and am quite knowledgeable about growing up in the 80s.and 90s without the internet. I just adapt well and see value where there is value to be had. Sounds to me like youare ignoring any value and focusing oy on negatives (which certainly do exist).