Social media is destroying our humanity

[Padreruf]

I received an email from Facebook for a charge card with money on it due to a lawsuit settlement. How can I know if it is real or fake?

 

[crimsonaudio]

I received an email from Facebook for a charge card with money on it due to a lawsuit settlement. How can I know if it is real or fake?

Check the sender email address (hover over it or click, phishers can spoof the displayed address in the mail client). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-privacy-settlement-payments-payout-user-2025-legit-email/

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I received an email from Facebook for a charge card with money on it due to a lawsuit settlement. How can I know if it is real or fake?

I can’t say it’s 100% fake but it feels like it would be 99% or higher that it’s fake.

The rule I live by on the internet is ANY unsolicited contact made with some type of too good to be true offer is in fact too good to be true.

FB can be a hive for scammers.

My Aunt gets unsolicited messages fairly often and clicks on things that look fishy and she has to go to her bank all the time over fraudulent charges on her account and get a new debit card issued.

I don’t know the best advice to give but me personally I would never click on an email from FB.

 

[Its On A Slab]

The internet has made us all dumber. Yet, if used right, it is an amazing tool. And AI as well.

But the biggest problem is that there is no truth filter. And if a fact-checker is put into place, it's looked at as the enemy in come circles. Which is why anything posted on X/Twitter is subject to questioning. An unlimited supply of foreign bots spewing disinformation and fomenting trouble. And nobody seems to see this as a problem.

 

[Its On A Slab]

From behind the WSJ pay wall. Very good analysis of these shooters.

The op-ed text: The descent of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of murdering Charlie Kirk, is itself a tragedy worth mourning. How did a high-school whiz kid devolve into an assassin? Such spirals aren’t so uncommon among young men, even if Mr. Robinson’s played out in a more calamitous and public way than most. Political violence is a problem. But so is the atomized culture in which young men retreat into confused inner worlds and virtual realities, which can be as addictive and destructive as any drug. Mr. Robinson’s relatively normal background makes his actions jarring. He came from a good middle-class family. Having excelled in high school, he was awarded a scholarship to Utah State University, though he dropped out after one semester. At some point, he appears to have become steeped in a dark digital world and videogames. He inscribed ammunition with obscure online memes (“Notices bulges OwO what’s this?”), lyrics to an anti-Fascist Italian song, and an apparent reference to the videogame “Helldivers 2,” a satire of a fascist interstellar empire inspired by the 1997 movie “Starship Troopers.” Marinating in an internet cesspool can’t be good for the young and malleable male mind. Might killing villains in videogames desensitize the conscience? Studies have found an association between playing violent videogames and aggressive behavior, though most people who assume online avatars and fight monsters don’t become violent. A broader problem, as Jonathan Haidt explains in his book “The Anxious Generation,” is that videogames cause boys to get lost in cyberspace. They have “put some users into a vicious cycle because they used gaming to distract themselves from feelings of loneliness,” Mr. Haidt notes. “Over time they developed a reliance on the games instead of forming long-term friendships.” They “retreat to their bedrooms rather than doing the hard work of maturing in the real world.” The same is true of social-media platforms like Discord and Reddit, where young men often seek fraternity under pseudonyms. The platforms become substitutes for real-world camaraderie and can lead men down dark holes. Frequent social-media use has been found to rewire neurological pathways in young brains and compromise judgment. Mr. Robinson’s spiral recalls Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate who allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street. Attractive and athletic, Mr. Mangione developed an obsession with self-improvement even as he suffered bouts of excruciating back pain. He was also an avid videogame player and active on Reddit. Prior to the shooting, he cut off communications with family and friends. Men in their late teens and 20s sometimes experience psychotic breaks. Mr. Mangione’s apparent mental-health struggles, however, seem to have gone unnoticed as he got lost in a digital wilderness. Or consider Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate President Trump at a rally last summer. Crooks graduated high school with high honors and scored 1530 on the SAT, then enrolled in an engineering program at a community college. His father said his mental health began declining in the year before the shooting. Crooks lost social connections as he started spending more time online, visiting news sites, gaming platforms, Reddit and weapons blogs. He at one point searched for information on “major depressive disorder” and “depression crisis,” suggesting he suspected he had a mental illness. Instead of psychiatric treatment, he turned to the internet. Like drugs, the internet can fuel delusions. Patrick Joseph White, 30, last month opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, then fatally shot himself. He was apparently exercising his rage against Covid shots, which he wrote were “always meant to indiscriminately murder as many as possible” and believed had caused his depression. He had threatened self-harm numerous times in the previous year. In April police officers came to his home after he called a veterans’ crisis line and said he had been drinking and taking medication. White told officers he had called the crisis line “just to talk to someone.” Videogames and the digital world may not cause mental illness, but they can be a form of self-medication that provides illusory relief from emotional troubles even as they propel antisocial behavior. The solution isn’t to ban them, but to create social structures that prevent young men from falling through the cracks. Lost boys pose a broader cultural problem. The share of men 20 to 34 who work has been declining over the past 30 years, even as employment among young women has increased. Too many young men spend their days playing videogames, watching porn, smoking pot and trolling the internet rather than engaging with the real world. Mr. Kirk sought to bring young people like Mr. Robinson out of their virtual caves. It’s harder to hate someone you meet in the flesh than an avatar in a digital dystopia.

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"Life is a gift. I went through a lot of bitterness- a lot of anger. But those things are toxic. Gratitude for what remains is more helpful than resentment for what was lost. Ultimately, I came to understand that these days are wicked short and terribly beautiful. All I’ve got—no matter what I hold in my hands, drive around in, or put in the bank,- all I’ve got is this one breath, and if I’m lucky, I get another.” Sam Baker

 

[arthurdawg]

The internet has made us all dumber. Yet, if used right, it is an amazing tool. And AI as well.

But the biggest problem is that there is no truth filter. And if a fact-checker is put into place, it's looked at as the enemy in come circles. Which is why anything posted on X/Twitter is subject to questioning. An unlimited supply of foreign bots spewing disinformation and fomenting trouble. And nobody seems to see this as a problem.

I really had not paid much attention to AI, but darned if it isn't much more capable at finding scientific papers for me. That I then obtain from the primary website, print out, and read on paper... Oh well!

 

[Its On A Slab]

I really had not paid much attention to AI, but darned if it isn't much more capable at finding scientific papers for me. That I then obtain from the primary website, print out, and read on paper... Oh well!

I'm training for a marathon. I was amazed at how effective ChatGPT was in diagnosing some nausea issues I was having after long runs. And the product(s) they advised to alleviate the symptoms. (I think I was losing too much sodium....it recommended more electrolytes).

Like you, I really hadn't paid much attention to it. Despite having ChatGPT installed for close to a year.

 

[Tideflyer]

They weren’t perfect times by any means, but I’ll take growing up in the 60’s any day.

I’ll always think that the music was a hell of a lot better! Lyrics that meant something ( well, with the notable exception of “ Louie Louie “ ) and was easy to dance to !

 

[arthurdawg]

I’ll always think that the music was a hell of a lot better! Lyrics that meant something ( well, with the notable exception of “ Louie Louie “ ) and was easy to dance to !

I had a lovely childhood in the 80s... Every generation has its ups and downs... Hopefully not more downs than ups currently.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

From behind the WSJ pay wall. Very good analysis of these shooters.

The op-ed text: The descent of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of murdering Charlie Kirk, is itself a tragedy worth mourning. How did a high-school whiz kid devolve into an assassin? Such spirals aren’t so uncommon among young men, even if Mr. Robinson’s played out in a more calamitous and public way than most. Political violence is a problem. But so is the atomized culture in which young men retreat into confused inner worlds and virtual realities, which can be as addictive and destructive as any drug. Mr. Robinson’s relatively normal background makes his actions jarring. He came from a good middle-class family. Having excelled in high school, he was awarded a scholarship to Utah State University, though he dropped out after one semester. At some point, he appears to have become steeped in a dark digital world and videogames. He inscribed ammunition with obscure online memes (“Notices bulges OwO what’s this?”), lyrics to an anti-Fascist Italian song, and an apparent reference to the videogame “Helldivers 2,” a satire of a fascist interstellar empire inspired by the 1997 movie “Starship Troopers.” Marinating in an internet cesspool can’t be good for the young and malleable male mind. Might killing villains in videogames desensitize the conscience? Studies have found an association between playing violent videogames and aggressive behavior, though most people who assume online avatars and fight monsters don’t become violent. A broader problem, as Jonathan Haidt explains in his book “The Anxious Generation,” is that videogames cause boys to get lost in cyberspace. They have “put some users into a vicious cycle because they used gaming to distract themselves from feelings of loneliness,” Mr. Haidt notes. “Over time they developed a reliance on the games instead of forming long-term friendships.” They “retreat to their bedrooms rather than doing the hard work of maturing in the real world.” The same is true of social-media platforms like Discord and Reddit, where young men often seek fraternity under pseudonyms. The platforms become substitutes for real-world camaraderie and can lead men down dark holes. Frequent social-media use has been found to rewire neurological pathways in young brains and compromise judgment. Mr. Robinson’s spiral recalls Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate who allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street. Attractive and athletic, Mr. Mangione developed an obsession with self-improvement even as he suffered bouts of excruciating back pain. He was also an avid videogame player and active on Reddit. Prior to the shooting, he cut off communications with family and friends. Men in their late teens and 20s sometimes experience psychotic breaks. Mr. Mangione’s apparent mental-health struggles, however, seem to have gone unnoticed as he got lost in a digital wilderness. Or consider Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate President Trump at a rally last summer. Crooks graduated high school with high honors and scored 1530 on the SAT, then enrolled in an engineering program at a community college. His father said his mental health began declining in the year before the shooting. Crooks lost social connections as he started spending more time online, visiting news sites, gaming platforms, Reddit and weapons blogs. He at one point searched for information on “major depressive disorder” and “depression crisis,” suggesting he suspected he had a mental illness. Instead of psychiatric treatment, he turned to the internet. Like drugs, the internet can fuel delusions. Patrick Joseph White, 30, last month opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, then fatally shot himself. He was apparently exercising his rage against Covid shots, which he wrote were “always meant to indiscriminately murder as many as possible” and believed had caused his depression. He had threatened self-harm numerous times in the previous year. In April police officers came to his home after he called a veterans’ crisis line and said he had been drinking and taking medication. White told officers he had called the crisis line “just to talk to someone.” Videogames and the digital world may not cause mental illness, but they can be a form of self-medication that provides illusory relief from emotional troubles even as they propel antisocial behavior. The solution isn’t to ban them, but to create social structures that prevent young men from falling through the cracks. Lost boys pose a broader cultural problem. The share of men 20 to 34 who work has been declining over the past 30 years, even as employment among young women has increased. Too many young men spend their days playing videogames, watching porn, smoking pot and trolling the internet rather than engaging with the real world. Mr. Kirk sought to bring young people like Mr. Robinson out of their virtual caves. It’s harder to hate someone you meet in the flesh than an avatar in a digital dystopia.

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Include Quoted:

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"Life is a gift. I went through a lot of bitterness- a lot of anger. But those things are toxic. Gratitude for what remains is more helpful than resentment for what was lost. Ultimately, I came to understand that these days are wicked short and terribly beautiful. All I’ve got—no matter what I hold in my hands, drive around in, or put in the bank,- all I’ve got is this one breath, and if I’m lucky, I get another.” Sam Baker

The share of men 20 to 34 who work has been declining over the past 30 years, even as employment among young women has increased.

Older men are benefiting from this group of men not working but instead staying home and playing video games all day and night. I watched a podcast that reported an increase in this age group of women turning to older men because the 20-34-year-old men didn't want to "grow up" but wanted to play video games. I once had a co-worker (late 20s, early 30s) who lost his marriage over a video game obsession.

 

[75thru79]

I'm training for a marathon. I was amazed at how effective ChatGPT was in diagnosing some nausea issues I was having after long runs. And the product(s) they advised to alleviate the symptoms. (I think I was losing too much sodium....it recommended more electrolytes).

Like you, I really hadn't paid much attention to it. Despite having ChatGPT installed for close to a year.

What I really enjoy about Google's AI is that I can run a Google search on a topic, like pretty obscure IT stuff and not only do I get a list of sites to look through but the AI component goes through and summarizes all the links into a comprehensive "review". It has helped me find answers to some of my questions waaayyyy faster than I used to be able to do it.

 

[arthurdawg]

I never had a console after my elementary years when we had a good ole Atari 2600... Played computer games some but pretty much quit in college when studies got real...

Always surprised at how many adults spend hours and hours on such.

 

[Its On A Slab]

Older men are benefiting from this group of men not working but instead staying home and playing video games all day and night. I watched a podcast that reported an increase in this age group of women turning to older men because the 20-34-year-old men didn't want to "grow up" but wanted to play video games. I once had a co-worker (late 20s, early 30s) who lost his marriage over a video game obsession.

I can remember getting too obsessed in one of the really early versions of Flight Simulator on early PCs.

I would spend 3-4 hours flying planes. Eventually, I was "told" to stop. And I did. It was a dumb habit.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I can remember getting too obsessed in one of the really early versions of Flight Simulator on early PCs.

I would spend 3-4 hours flying planes. Eventually, I was "told" to stop. And I did. It was a dumb habit.

The guy I worked with, who lost his marriage over it, was into some type of war game. Supposedly, he'd use PTO days to stay home and play them all day and on the weekends that's all he would do. His wife would want to do grown-up "married couple stuff," and all he wanted to do was play video games.

 

[Its On A Slab]

The guy I worked with, who lost his marriage over it, was into some type of war game. Supposedly, he'd use PTO days to stay home and play them all day and on the weekends that's all he would do. His wife would want to do grown-up "married couple stuff," and all he wanted to do was play video games.

Come to think of it, I did work with a guy who had a similar problem. Early 2000s. He was addicted to a game called EverQuest. He had to seek counseling over it. He told me that he spent all of his time at home/at work worrying over the game.

 

[arthurdawg]

Come to think of it, I did work with a guy who had a similar problem. Early 2000s. He was addicted to a game called EverQuest. He had to seek counseling over it. He told me that he spent all of his time at home/at work worrying over the game.

I think part of it now is that these games go on forever. Everquest is still around (I think) and you can play it for years and years. I played some old school games of this nature in the 1980s and those 5.25" floppy disks only held so much... 35-40 hours over several months and it was done and Mom sent me to read a book, ride a bike, or go down to the pond and fish. Until Santa arrived the following Christmas...

 

[Bazza]

M*A*S*H was such a good show. It's still running in syndication. When I was working as a foliage plant grower in Apopka right out of college late 70's, I also held a part-time job as a night clerk at a Cumberland Farms store in Mt. Dora. I was renting the back of a big house on Lake Jem and my whole life consisted on working in my profession during the week and going home to surf on the weekends.

I had a routine every day after my day job to come home, grab a bite, change clothes, and catch an episode of M*A*S*H before heading to the Cumberland Farms job.

We didn't have the Internet back then. No cell phones. Called & talked to people on regular telephones. We learned about humanity (in part) by watching shows like this.....

 

[arthurdawg]

MASH was watched from 630-700 after the nightly news every night in our household for all the years of my childhood.

 

[JDCrimson]

This has been a phenomenon longer in Japan than here in the US. The Japanese call them "grass men".

Older men are benefiting from this group of men not working but instead staying home and playing video games all day and night. I watched a podcast that reported an increase in this age group of women turning to older men because the 20-34-year-old men didn't want to "grow up" but wanted to play video games. I once had a co-worker (late 20s, early 30s) who lost his marriage over a video game obsession.

 

[Bazza]

MASH was watched from 630-700 after the nightly news every night in our household for all the years of my childhood.

Arthur.....if you're a fan of Alan Alda......if not already done so check out "Same Time Next Year" from 1978 starring Alda and Ellen Burstyn.

A corny romantic comedic drama......and just fantastic, if you like that sort of thing.