I feel like perhaps because of social media, an individual person is more disposable than they may have been in the past. It is easy to just click "block" or "delete" and it is as if, from your POV, that person may as well have never existed. I just feel my generation, and those after, are perhaps less sentimental, less forgiving, and more cold than they once were. When personal relationships are scaled back to buttons on a social media site, or to the ability to simply block a person out completely in a Stalin-esque way and pretend they were never a part of your life...I think things are different now.

This is literally the dumbest thing I've read on the board so far.

Well he might be right - now strangers are less likely to engage in small talk or flirt on the public transport and outside, they just stare at their phones.

I have noticed this too, in some regards.
I don't think that this is an outlandish observation. It actually makes perfect sense. When you plug yourself in to virtual reality, actual reality seems to vanish around you.
Dogs barking? Laughter down the hall? All of those noises get drowned out when you're fixated on the latest IOS game on your smartphone.

But with that said, "cold" is not the adjective that I'd use. "Cold" (to me, at least) denotes apathy, sociopathy and a willingness to hurt others for personal gain.
"Emptiness" is a better word. Technology itself does not turn a healthy being into a depraved monster. But it can suck the life out of you, and in a sense, turn said person into a junkie of sorts. Relying on the next fix.

This is literally the dumbest thing I've read on the board so far.


This is a common response to threads that people don't want to talk about.
No matter how well-written, articulate or truthful the OP was, you'd dismiss his thread as "dumb" just because it ruffles your feathers.

This is a common response to threads that people don't want to talk about.
No matter how well-written, articulate or truthful the OP was, you'd dismiss his thread as "dumb" just because it ruffles your feathers.


That seems to be the attitude nowadays, which ironically proves the OP's point.

I think so. Fights on social media have caused fights in real life at my school before. A lot of people are colder now because of internet and it’s easy for someone to insult others behind a screen. And with smartphones with easy access to the internet on the go, it adds up.

This is literally the dumbest thing I've read on the board so far.

I agree with the starter of this thread... People are meaner and cruel now...... Its getting worse everyday...... They arent friendly,they ignore your emails,etc........

But with that said, "cold" is not the adjective that I'd use. "Cold" (to me, at least) denotes apathy, sociopathy and a willingness to hurt others for personal gain.
"Emptiness" is a better word. Technology itself does not turn a healthy being into a depraved monster. But it can suck the life out of you, and in a sense, turn said person into a junkie of sorts. Relying on the next fix.


How about "ignorant" or "oblivious"

Look at Encyclopedia Dramatica.

People used to legally discriminate by color barely two generations ago and you think people are colder now?

How about "ignorant" or "oblivious"


Those are fitting terms.

Totally. I have noticed this since at least my college years, around 2010 and thereabouts. People plain don't talk to each other anymore.

The more I read comments on news websites, the more cynical I become.
I've had many late nights surfing lately and it does a number on my well-being.
Time to block news websites and forums again by using several tools like K9 Web Protection (it's great!), Block Site, Leech Block and the Windows hosts file. I'm just too good at circumventing if I only use one of these options. :)
Please American people, don't become as cold and reserved as Europeans. Talking to strangers and small talk are the best things about life in America in my opinion.

I know that if I move to the US I'll miss my family at home but I miss them here as well. At least I could have strangers engaging in small talk with me unlike in Europe. I once read that a guy said to another guy in a store after he saw that he bought 3 frozen pizzas "Gonna eat all of that?", will never happen here! Not to mention how rare is small talk with shop assistants you don't know in advance. Like one cheesey song goes: Well that's more preferable, in my humble point of view... than any of you! (pointing at European societies!) :D

Totally. I have noticed this since at least my college years, around 2010 and thereabouts. People plain don't talk to each other anymore.


What steams me is, at the work cafeteria while in a line to order food, someone in front of me so engrossed in their phones that they barely look at the server - they order quickly and immediately go back to their phones.  The servers are people, not robots!  >:(  That's a definite pet peeve.

I always smile and say 'thank you' or engage in chitchat with the servers - I'm sure it helps their day move along.  It just seems wrong when someone won't look at them because they are engrossed in their phone.

Well he might be right - now strangers are less likely to engage in small talk or flirt on the public transport and outside, they just stare at their phones.


I see it a lot lately these days, they're constantly staring or engaging in conversations on their phones instead of face to face conversations. ::)

Totally. I have noticed this since at least my college years, around 2010 and thereabouts. People plain don't talk to each other anymore.


Twitter and Facebook wars.

Well he might be right - now strangers are less likely to engage in small talk or flirt on the public transport and outside, they just stare at their phones.

I'm much rather stare at my phone than have a random stranger try to talk to me 8-P.

I’d rather have a pretty lady chat with me than that ;)

I'm much rather stare at my phone than have a random stranger try to talk to me 8-P.


Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, though. That's the entire idea behind socialization. Half the world's population likely wouldn't exist if a random stranger never talked to a random stranger (As in, your grandparents or your parents might've been total strangers, but struck up a conversation on a bus, or somewhere). My own parents met through my father crossing the street to ask her if she had a bag of sugar. My grandpa was working as a grocer in his friend's dad's store and saw my grandma and was enchanted and I guess chatted her up. He told his friend the very day they met that that was the girl he was gonna marry. And he did.

Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, though. That's the entire idea behind socialization. Half the world's population likely wouldn't exist if a random stranger never talked to a random stranger (As in, your grandparents or your parents might've been total strangers, but struck up a conversation on a bus, or somewhere). My own parents met through my father crossing the street to ask her if she had a bag of sugar. My grandpa was working as a grocer in his friend's dad's store and saw my grandma and was enchanted and I guess chatted her up. He told his friend the very day they met that that was the girl he was gonna marry. And he did.


I wouldn't move to Europe if I were you. The whole talking to strangers like you know them is very American.

I’d rather have a pretty lady chat with me than that ;)


I'd rather just read my newspaper on the bus.

I wouldn't move to Europe if I were you. The whole talking to strangers like you know them is very American.

Well that makes me feel better about applying for a green card, I feel so lonely and isolated living alone in a new place in Europe for that very reason. And where am I supposed to find friends/love - all of the women at work are taken, same for those in language classes, etc. Don't say online -- it never works for me.

Well that makes me feel better about applying for a green card, I feel so lonely and isolated living alone in a new place in Europe for that very reason. And where am I supposed to find friends/love - all of the women at work are taken, same for those in language classes, etc. Don't say online -- it never works for me.


I'm not saying the US is going to better for you in that arena. I think that's a personal thing. It's a matter of location, luck, and what you put into it. But I will say Americans are still far more approachable than Europeans in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz2rj5irBEA

Punchline: this song is 27 years old.

I'm certainly colder in winter...

Many people are meaner and colder now!

THEY HAVE ATTITUDES and are not nice.....

I'd say people are around the same since I've been a little kid although I find people are a bit more empathetic towards the plight and suffering of minorities so no...I'd say people are not colder than they used to be. A person being nice to you, offering you food, drink, and a nice friendly evening while thinking you deserve to be a second-class citizen and voting to make that a reality is colder than a person not talking to you because they'd rather read a news article on their cell phones.

Yes, people are colder now. They're also SJWs, snowflakes and too sensitive. Oh yeah, and they can't take jokes. Also, they have bad taste in music.
Did I forget to include something else?

Yes, people are colder now. They're also SJWs, snowflakes and too sensitive. Oh yeah, and they can't take jokes. Also, they have bad taste in music.
Did I forget to include something else?


They need their safe space when they get triggered/offended, but that goes along with what you covered about being sensitive and can't take jokes.

Maybe people should wear jackets and try to find some sun outside, then they wouldn't be cold.

Yes, people are colder now. They're also SJWs, snowflakes and too sensitive. Oh yeah, and they can't take jokes. Also, they have bad taste in music.
Did I forget to include something else?


8)

Maybe people should wear jackets and try to find some sun outside, then they wouldn't be cold.

Lmao.

Many people are meaner and colder now!

THEY HAVE ATTITUDES and are not nice.....


I've seen it a lot lately.

Maybe people should wear jackets and try to find some sun outside, then they wouldn't be cold.
...or turn the heating up?