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How technology has changed the world since I was young

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Summary

The article reflects on how technology has changed the world since the author was a child in 1990. They discuss how the advent of information technology has changed how people interact, with dating apps replacing traditional methods of meeting potential partners, and how people no longer have to worry about getting lost thanks to the presence of GPS. Additionally, the article reflects on how the internet has made knowledge more accessible, but has also reduced the sense of mystery and exploration. Finally, the article considers how technology has impacted the very nature of human life, making it easier to keep track of people's actions and thoughts, and making progress feel slower, when in reality it has been quite rapid.

Q&As

What did Alvin Toffler say about technology and social changes in his book 'Future Shock'?
Alvin Toffler claimed in his book 'Future Shock' that modern people feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological change and the social changes that result.

What does Tyler Cowen say about the rapid progress in generative AI?
Tyler Cowen claims that we should embrace the change and ride the wave instead of fearing it and trying to hold it back. He also argues that we haven't already been living in a world of radical change.

What has been the effect of the shift of human life from offline to online?
The shift of human life from offline to online has had profound implications for how we interact with each other. One example is how couples meet in the modern day, with dating apps taking over from friends and work as the main ways that people meet romantic partners.

How has the internet changed the nature of human life?
The internet has taken much of the knowledge that humans used to have to carry around in their heads and uploaded it to what is, in effect, a single unified exocortex. It also stores information in much larger volumes than books, TV shows, or any other medium that came before.

What are the broader effects of the digital revolution on our society?
The broader effects of the digital revolution on our society remain to be seen. One hypothesis is that online interaction will encourage people to identify with “vertical” communities — physically distant people who share their identities and interests — rather than the physical communities around them. This could have profoundly disruptive impacts on cities and even nations, which are organized around contiguous physical territory.

AI Comments

👍 This is an insightful article that provides a well-researched perspective on how technology has changed the world since 1990. It is an informative read that highlights the impact of technology on human life.

👎 This article is too long-winded and fails to really capture the essence of how technology has changed the world since 1990. It is full of unnecessary details that make it difficult to read.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how technology has changed the world since the author was a kid. He talks about how we tend to minimize the changes we see in our lives from year to year, but when we look back on the long sweep of decades, the changes are stunning. He talks about how screen time has eaten up a huge chunk of human life, how relationships are now formed online, how GPS has taken some of the adventure out of exploring, how knowledge is now stored on the internet, and how technology has changed the way we interact with each other.

Friend: Wow, that's a lot! What are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, the article brings up a lot of implications. Firstly, it highlights how our lives have become more dependent on technology, with increased screen time and the reorientation of social relationships to the online world. This could have disruptive impacts on cities and nations, as people start to identify more with vertical, online communities rather than their physical communities. Secondly, the article points out how knowledge and mystery have both been diminished with the rise of the internet, as we can now quickly access any information we want and explore has become less difficult. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of privacy, as our every move is now tracked. All of these implications could drastically change our lives in the future, so it's important to consider them.

Action items

Research the implications of the shift of human life from offline to online and how it has impacted social relationships.
Explore the ways in which technology has changed the way humans interact with each other and the world around them.
Analyze the impact of the proliferation of tools that convey knowledge on demand and how it has changed the nature of human life.

Technical terms

Future Shock: A book published in 1970 by Alvin Toffler claiming that modern people feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological change and the social changes that result.
Generative AI: Artificial intelligence that can generate new data, rather than just analyzing existing data.
Screen Time: The amount of time spent looking at a screen, such as a computer, phone, or television.
Social Media: Online platforms used to share content, such as photos, videos, and text.
Smartphones: Mobile phones with advanced computing capabilities.
Vertical Communities: Communities of people who share identities and interests, but are physically distant from one another.
Exocortex: A term used to describe the collective knowledge stored on the internet.
GPS: Global Positioning System, a technology used to determine the location of a device.
Google Maps: An online mapping service used to find directions and locations.
Total Factor Productivity: A measure of economic growth that takes into account the efficiency of production.