Say no to being Chronically Online

Technology as a kid

As I'm sure most of you can guess, I am a Gen-Z. I was born towards the end of 2003, so the Internet has always existed throughout the time that I've been alive. However, the Internet wasn't a huge aspect of my early childhood.

Until I was about 9 or 10 years old, I didn't have my own computer (had to use the family one) and smartphones were not mainstream. I had a few game consoles, but my mum was very strict about me not playing "violent" games like Call of Duty, and there's only so much Mario Kart and Wii Sports you can play in one sitting before you'd eventually get bored.

Even when I was old enough to have my own computer and phone, they weren't like what we have today (my first computer was a netbook and my first phone was just a cheap dumb phone from the supermarket).

Then vs Now

Although young me found this annoying, looking back I'm very grateful for this because of the memories I made in real life that today's kids may not get to experience. Even when I did use technology, my experiences were almost always positive (e.g., splitscreen multiplayer with family and friends irl). If anything, limited access to technology sparked my enthusiasm for how it works instead of just using it for the sake of consumption.

Fast forward to today, and things are very different where kids as young as four spend hours every single day in front of an iPad. It's easy to poke fun at these Gen Alpha kids, but the reality is quite sad and primarily a consequence of bad parenting. Though even us adults use it compulsively despite the consequences and the fact a lot of us don't even enjoy it.

Weird Internet Culture

As a teen, I used to be chronically online. I was a compulsive gamer, Reddit degenerate, consumed too much YouTube, neglected my irl friendships for artificial ones on Discord, and compulsively watched the Hub. I would unironically quote memes and use terms like "based" and "pog" in real life. I assumed it was normal, but to the best of my knowledge, nobody talks like that in real life.

I could blame my bad habits on something like the pandemic or big tech companies (which are definitely problematic in their own ways), but that's not the sensible & mature thing to do. Ultimately, it's my own fault because I had the free will to resist that temptation (it's hard, but not impossible), but chose not to because I wanted that stimulation. Looking back, I realise I could've just stopped if I really wanted to.

"Oh but I only consume Reddit and 4chan", that's just as bad as using normie stuff like Instagram. In fact, I'd argue it's even worse because at least normal people use Instagram. Maybe the stereotypical "neckbeard redditor" has an element of truth.

We're hooked on negativity

There's a reason why the media focuses on negative headlines - good press does not sell and people are easier to manipulate when they're angry. Perhaps this explains why "internet people" align so strongly with certain ideologies and make it their personality... you're an atheist furry communist? or maybe a trad MAGA zionist? Uhhh, okay. I didn't really need to know that.

Regardless of what they actually believe, aligning with something like an ideology fulfills their need for companionship/sense of belonging, and thinking they're the ones in the right gives them a sense of pride.

Of course, there are real problems in the world (e.g., war, climate change, violent crime), but the Internet makes out that the world is a lot more negative than it really is. Unless you live somewhere like Gaza, Afghanistan, or Eastern Ukraine, the chances are you have a fairly normal life.

What should we do?