As a programmer, I hate the modern world in general. None of these technologies are for the good of humanity. I once went on a survival camp for a month out in the middle of nowhere. It was the best time in my life. This really is a profound observation. I am sure technology can enrich people's lives. Even out in the middle of nowhere I was using primitive forms of technology. But our modern world is not full of the kinds of experiences that enrich our lives - quite the opposite.
Mobile phones may sound like a good technology until you realise that people are using them because all of their friends are miles away, or because they have to and their boss calls them all the time, or they are so bored at work that they would rather browse facebook.
Cars are something that could allow you to travel long distances but we mostly use them to sit in traffic or travel long distances simply because we have paved over everything around us and nature is so far away. Cars have contributed to pollution and cities that resemble car parks.
To me, and this is obvious from my experience in the jungle, the modern world is a complete failure that has not improved our lives at all.
My best experience in life was away from the modern world. I mean my mental and physical health ended up being completely different by the third week. My experience of life.... I was actually living. I have never felt that since. I feel like I know a secret about the world that others who have never had that experience will ever know.
I have a feeling that modern technology and life is guided by corruption, not by what is best for humanity.
Something that terrifies me, which I'm guessing probably does the same to you, is hearing people talk about how they can't wait to be able to "experience" things in VR instead of having to travel.
That's only one step away from justifying destroying the rest of our planet because we can just "experience" it with technology anyway.
Yes I agree and it shows you understand my point. When I was working at a boring job, I would spend a lot of time using google street view in different countries. It was a coping mechanism as the job was driving me crazy and I couldn't afford to travel to any of those countries. It is not a substitute for the real thing though. I am sure with virtual reality, it will be a replacement for holidays as nobody will be able to afford holidays anymore. Just as processed food is becoming a replacement for real food.
I agree with you in general -- all this stuff Google is doing with data really weirds me out -- but VR is actually really cool! You should try it sometime if you get the chance.
I don't dislike VR. I have a DK1, DK2, CV1, and a Vive. I think it's awesome, and has a lot of potential, but it scares me to see companies like Facebook and Google getting involved, and makes me sad to think about what the future of VR might become as a result. It also makes me sad for the people who will become wrapped up and "live" in VR, thinking that it's a 1:1 substitute for experiencing things in real life, which I'm sure shares at least some overlap with the people who haven't seen the outdoors unless forced since they became a part of WoW. The thing that worries me most in this regard, is that there are people openly talking about how they want this, and how they hope technology makes it so they never have to leave home again.
What's funny is that I'm sure there are people who make lots of money working for Facebook, Google, and others reading this thinking "we're not evil, our slogan even said so! This person is nuts!", but nobody really thinks what they're doing is wrong while they're doing it -- or they wouldn't be. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that..
Mobile phones may sound like a good technology until you realise that people are using them because all of their friends are miles away, or because they have to and their boss calls them all the time, or they are so bored at work that they would rather browse facebook.
Cars are something that could allow you to travel long distances but we mostly use them to sit in traffic or travel long distances simply because we have paved over everything around us and nature is so far away. Cars have contributed to pollution and cities that resemble car parks.
To me, and this is obvious from my experience in the jungle, the modern world is a complete failure that has not improved our lives at all.
My best experience in life was away from the modern world. I mean my mental and physical health ended up being completely different by the third week. My experience of life.... I was actually living. I have never felt that since. I feel like I know a secret about the world that others who have never had that experience will ever know.
I have a feeling that modern technology and life is guided by corruption, not by what is best for humanity.