which of the changes to society have you struggled with?

[China Expat]

Poor service ethic, social isolation-always on phone, not finding humans when calling companies, dangerous drivers, crime, guns.

 

[Beezle2]

Even with a huge financial judgement against THAT channel, supporters continue to be supporters.

And you notice the crickets when you ask about it.

 

[SC Minnie]

Quite a few companies get hit by boss scams through some kind of phishing or smishing attempts. We're at the point where I feel like we're taking some kind of cybersecurity WBT every 2-3 months. They also like to throw in random testing to make sure it's sinking in... basically sending us fake communications to see how we respond to something designed to look like a real-life fraud attempt. It usually generates an immediate response, either congratulating us for recognizing something sketchy or recommending us for additional training if we fall for their trick. Some of the lower-level attempts are easier to spot, since they have the telltale poor spelling and grammar. The whaling and spearfishing ones we've seen in examples are better crafted, but all seem to convey an abnormal sense of urgency. I used to sit next to our fraud group and my old supervisor now heads up a higher division of this area. It's amazing to hear some of the things coming out of those teams. Still, it's a non-stop battle and the scams are becoming much more complex. So, it’s no wonder that our clients are generally reluctant to give us personal data.

Yeah, our company IT security group sends out the fake emails too to see if you will report it or if you'll click on the link. If you click on the link you have to do the training over again. The only one I fell for was at this time of year, I got an email from a supplier I deal with that had a link to an e Christmas card. I had just talked to him the day before and he told me he was sending something. It was bad timing and I fell for the IT trap.

But the text threw me.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

As a teacher, I would have to say the lack of apathy that I see in my students. There is no drive to learn or to want to better one's self. I have so many that just don't care and can't engage with anything other than their phones. Things were bad before the plague times but now it's so much worse. I think a lot has to do with social media and the fact that their attention spans have shrunk to less than a goldfish. I look at my students and very few seem to have that spark that drives just wanting to know things in general. It's very scary to think about what will happen a few years down the road as these kids grow up and try to get jobs.

Given that I'm in the middle of grading freshman exams, I'd have to agree with you. They'd rather be on their phones than learn, and then when they get a bad grade, they don't seem to care. Very frustrating.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Am I crazy? I seem to recall that the political parties would discuss the far right and far left agendas at the conventions, but then once a candidate was selected, the platform was shifted to be far more centrist - reason being, you would have to get some swing votes from the other party to win enough electoral votes. Now, especially with the last couple of voting cycles, that shift to center is just gone.

What is to blame? Social media IMHO. Take Facebook for example. There is no such thing as free expression. It's all echo chamber. If you express a dissenting opinion you get blocked and your post deleted. Mainstream media is not much better. How can you possibly make up your own mind if you are only ever presented with one side?

I am worried most about our kids, the next generation though. Just 5 minutes before all the COVID shutdowns we were all starting to get concerned about screen time and the negative impacts of social media - and rightly so. Remember "The Social Dilema"? Then we locked them away from their friends for two years and forced them to interact only though the one media we feared most. OF COURSE our kids are messed up now! Beware; they will be making all of our decisions in the very near future if they are not doing so already.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I am worried most about our kids, the next generation though. Just 5 minutes before all the COVID shutdowns we were all starting to get concerned about screen time and the negative impacts of social media - and rightly so. Remember "The Social Dilema"? Then we locked them away from their friends for two years and forced them to interact only though the one media we feared most. OF COURSE our kids are messed up now! Beware; they will be making all of our decisions in the very near future if they are not doing so already.

Why in the world did you lock your kids away for TWO YEARS!!! Thats pretty sad that you didn't let them see their friends for TWO years!!

 

[DVCjj]

Social Media in general. Certainly hasn’t been all positive.

 

[FreckledOne]

As a teacher, I would have to say the lack of apathy that I see in my students. There is no drive to learn or to want to better one's self. I have so many that just don't care and can't engage with anything other than their phones. Things were bad before the plague times but now it's so much worse. I think a lot has to do with social media and the fact that their attention spans have shrunk to less than a goldfish. I look at my students and very few seem to have that spark that drives just wanting to know things in general. It's very scary to think about what will happen a few years down the road as these kids grow up and try to get jobs.

My 8th grader brought up something similar yesterday. She said she discussed this with a school friend of hers the other day. In general, the kids in her middle school don‘t seem to care about learning and their grades. She said her teachers are always telling the kids to study, do the homework, etc., but hardly any of them listen. I tell her a lot of that behavior may be attributed to their home life. Sure, you have the outliers who have great parents, but the kids are still terrors, and the ones with a horrible home life, but the kids are motivated to succeed. In general, she noticed the majority seemed to just care about social media and not their academic journey.

Also, she said a lot of the girls wear makeup, curse a lot, and are growing up too fast. She is disappointed with her peers and she can‘t wait to start high school next year. She is looking for like-minded friends who want to enjoy their youth and are serious about their education.

 

[shh]

The Easily Offended. Every day, a new word, phrase or thought is now deemed "wrong". To be clear, I don't support any derogatory, vulgar or offensive references - or anything bigoted that slanders a group of people. But seriously, the "snowflake patrol" is out of control!

Heaven forbid you say "ma'am", "sir", reply "no problem" or say one of a hundred other things I probably don't even realize are now "forbidden" to the wrong person: some act like you slandered their entire family.

People today rarely give others the benefit of the doubt or a little grace. Not all of us are intentionally insulting you!

 

[bsmcneil]

Quite a few companies get hit by boss scams through some kind of phishing or smishing attempts. We're at the point where I feel like we're taking some kind of cybersecurity WBT every 2-3 months. They also like to throw in random testing to make sure it's sinking in... basically sending us fake communications to see how we respond to something designed to look like a real-life fraud attempt. It usually generates an immediate response, either congratulating us for recognizing something sketchy or recommending us for additional training if we fall for their trick. Some of the lower-level attempts are easier to spot, since they have the telltale poor spelling and grammar. The whaling and spearfishing ones we've seen in examples are better crafted, but all seem to convey an abnormal sense of urgency. I used to sit next to our fraud group and my old supervisor now heads up a higher division of this area. It's amazing to hear some of the things coming out of those teams. Still, it's a non-stop battle and the scams are becoming much more complex. So, it’s no wonder that our clients are generally reluctant to give us personal data.

I hate this so much. There are so many times I'm worried I'm ignoring an email from a potential client (I work with folks who are homeless) because what if it's actually IT spoofing us to test ... it's so frustrating.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Even with a huge financial judgement against THAT channel, supporters continue to be supporters.

And you notice the crickets when you ask about it.

I’m lost. Which channel are you two talking about? Was it the channel(s) that settled a lawsuit for defamation of a minor?

 

[pindecisive]

My 8th grader brought up something similar yesterday. She said she discussed this with a school friend of hers the other day. In general, the kids in her middle school don‘t seem to care about learning and their grades. She said her teachers are always telling the kids to study, do the homework, etc., but hardly any of them listen. I tell her a lot of that behavior may be attributed to their home life. Sure, you have the outliers who have great parents, but the kids are still terrors, and the ones with a horrible home life, but the kids are motivated to succeed. In general, she noticed the majority seemed to just care about social media and not their academic journey.

Public school is at the heart of the issue. Most lack funding and resources to update teaching methods to something students want to take part in.

No one needs to take 4 years of high school. Many people could graduate years early if given the chance to study on their own. And it's the same with middle school - if you fail 6-8th grade most schools will still graduate you.

Any yet no one has overhauled the extremely inefficient luddite public school system. They just blame the kids.

 

[pindecisive]

The Easily Offended. Every day, a new word, phrase or thought is now deemed "wrong". To be clear, I don't support any derogatory, vulgar or offensive references - or anything bigoted that slanders a group of people. But seriously, the "snowflake patrol" is out of control!

Just so you know, if you google 'snowflake' it says: "'Snowflake' is a derogatory slang term for a person"

"noun. informal, derogatory. the generation of people who became adults in or after the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations"

 

[BayouQueen]

It really bothers me how much brutal violence there is in movies, television, games. Bonnie & Clyde seemed to start it all, with the graphic showing of their being shot in the end. It was called art. Now it's everywhere, and I think it really does make people harder and courser.
How Game of Thrones came to be just an everyday great show totally escapes me. Seems disingenuous for us to act shocked when we see brutal acts of war. We've seen it all already, in the guise of entertainment.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I wouldn't say, I've struggled with it, but I do think our society was 'better' without everyone having a (phone) camera in their hands all the time. I know there are exceptions, but, generally, I can't see the benefit of filming/photographing so much. It takes people out of the moment.

...And the irony is, because it's mostly kept digitally, there won't be the same physical images for future generations to see. (Same goes for no handwritten letters, which have given us such personal insights into the lives of our ancestors.) IMO, online isn't the same as tangible, physical copy.

And look at the effect that constant demands to look good in photos has had on young girls, especially. Such heavy makeup! I pass some in the street and it's comparable to stage makeup. ...But, more importantly, it changes priorities and perceived values. Isn't it nice to live a moment firsthand without having to look good (to others) whilst doing it? The Kardashians, probably, have a lot to answer for in this; but they didn't cause it, they've just snowballed it.