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Original poster

Things I don't understand about modern life

141 replies

niadainud · 09/12/2024 13:14

  1. What "speaking to" means. I know it is a stage in the dating process, but have no idea as to its specific implications.

  2. The point of "link in bio" - why can't you just put the bloody link where I can see it without having to hunt for it?

  3. Gender-woo nonsense. When will the madness end?

  4. Why it seems to be socially acceptable to use your phone to play videos or make calls without headphones, especially on on the bus. STFU!

  5. Talking of buses, why they can so rarely take you from point A to point B without terminating prematurely, stopping to "regulate the service" or stopping to change driver. I'm sure it never used to be this bad.

OP posts:
TheDandyLion · 09/12/2024 13:19

To answer no 2 - Link in bio is because the bio is the only place you can paste a clickable link on Instagram.

Edit to add: It also drives traffic to your profile and then Insta's algorithm picks you up as a popular and then pushes your profile into more people's feed.

Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 13:31

TheDandyLion · 09/12/2024 13:19

To answer no 2 - Link in bio is because the bio is the only place you can paste a clickable link on Instagram.

Edit to add: It also drives traffic to your profile and then Insta's algorithm picks you up as a popular and then pushes your profile into more people's feed.

Edited

Ah, that's good to know. I shall be less irritated by this in future!

Is it the same on Facebook?

OP posts:
TitusMoan · 09/12/2024 14:05

Add to the list:

Parents carrying Reception children in and out of school.

Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 17:44

TitusMoan · 09/12/2024 14:05

Add to the list:

Parents carrying Reception children in and out of school.

How odd. I didn't realise that was a thing.

OP posts:
TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 09/12/2024 17:48

This reply has been deleted

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Wolfmango · 09/12/2024 17:53

How being an "influencer' is a job. And kids aspire to be an influencer/tik tok famous.

Sidebeforeself · 09/12/2024 17:55

Why people are so quick to call each other cunts

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 09/12/2024 17:56

I remember, in the old days, you couldn't keep a coat on a young person unless you stapled it on. They'd walk around in a hoodie, shivering and saying they were fine. Nowadays they wear coats like miniature duvets even on blazing hot days.

Topseyt123 · 09/12/2024 17:59

TitusMoan · 09/12/2024 14:05

Add to the list:

Parents carrying Reception children in and out of school.

I certainly never did that though did see it occasionally. I usually also had a preschooler and a baby with me too so reception child had to walk whether they liked it or not.

ADifferentPathAuDHD · 09/12/2024 17:59

Why it costs so much to hire films on Amazon when companies like Blockbuster had to have staff, locations, and physical films and charged less??? Why isn't streaming films cheaper as there are so many fewer physical costs?

ExhibitionOfYourself · 09/12/2024 17:59

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 09/12/2024 17:56

I remember, in the old days, you couldn't keep a coat on a young person unless you stapled it on. They'd walk around in a hoodie, shivering and saying they were fine. Nowadays they wear coats like miniature duvets even on blazing hot days.

I can assure you around here school kids are still living out the long tradition of no coats whatsoever, regardless of rain and cold. DS's school had a Christmas jumper day last week, at the beginning of Storm Darragh, and hundreds of boys aged 13 to 18 were milling about on the street at home time, soaked through and blue-faced, shivering so hard the antlers on their jumpers looked like Rudolf was having an epileptic fit.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 09/12/2024 18:01

ExhibitionOfYourself · 09/12/2024 17:59

I can assure you around here school kids are still living out the long tradition of no coats whatsoever, regardless of rain and cold. DS's school had a Christmas jumper day last week, at the beginning of Storm Darragh, and hundreds of boys aged 13 to 18 were milling about on the street at home time, soaked through and blue-faced, shivering so hard the antlers on their jumpers looked like Rudolf was having an epileptic fit.

Show quote history

I'm glad to hear that some kids are still keeping up the old traditions. Around here it's like watching a bunch of maggots walking down the road when they all go out together.

Better than being cold, I admit, but why in summer?

OnTheBounce · 09/12/2024 18:02

When you say 'speaking to', do you mean that rather earnest construction: 'This speaks to a lack of understanding and a need to educate yourself further'? Because I don't know where that's come from, but I wish it would go back.

duc748 · 09/12/2024 18:04

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 09/12/2024 17:56

I remember, in the old days, you couldn't keep a coat on a young person unless you stapled it on. They'd walk around in a hoodie, shivering and saying they were fine. Nowadays they wear coats like miniature duvets even on blazing hot days.

That's so true!

taxguru · 09/12/2024 18:06

Re buses, I feel your pain. At least in the past, when a bus stopped to change driver or for a break or loo stop, etc., either the driver or conductor would actually tell the passengers and give them a timescale. These days, they just leave the cab and leave passengers in limbo. So many times, I've been sat in a bus when the driver has just stopped at a bus stop, turned off the engine and beggared off. I don't know whether we'll be there 5, 10, 15 minutes. So many times, I'd have actually walked a couple of stops to get to my destination if they'd only said how long they'd be. It's maddening how buses and trains have so little regard for their passengers and basically just do what the hell they want to do, when they want to do it!

titchy · 09/12/2024 18:11

OnTheBounce · 09/12/2024 18:02

When you say 'speaking to', do you mean that rather earnest construction: 'This speaks to a lack of understanding and a need to educate yourself further'? Because I don't know where that's come from, but I wish it would go back.

She says regarding dating....Confused I understood 'speaking to' or 'talking to' to mean dating but not exclusive so not boyfriend/girlfriend.

NoraLuka · 09/12/2024 18:12

OnTheBounce · 09/12/2024 18:02

When you say 'speaking to', do you mean that rather earnest construction: 'This speaks to a lack of understanding and a need to educate yourself further'? Because I don't know where that's come from, but I wish it would go back.

I don’t think that’s what OP means but I don’t like this construction either - I’ve been living abroad for nearly 20 years and whenever I see this it makes me feel as though I’m losing my English because I don’t understand how to use it. First time that’s happened! Does that speak to not visiting the UK enough to keep up with how the language is evolving?

hamsandyams · 09/12/2024 18:13

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 09/12/2024 17:56

I remember, in the old days, you couldn't keep a coat on a young person unless you stapled it on. They'd walk around in a hoodie, shivering and saying they were fine. Nowadays they wear coats like miniature duvets even on blazing hot days.

Not near me. Windy stormy rainy weekend, and on Friday every kid walking out of the local high school was drenched, the girls were in the shortest skirts and not a coat in sight. I’ve never felt so old.

Planits · 09/12/2024 18:13

Why everything is a “hack”?! Or the clickbait that says you’re doing everything wrong: “you’ve been eating your banana wrong for years!” wtf

Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 18:17

OnTheBounce · 09/12/2024 18:02

When you say 'speaking to', do you mean that rather earnest construction: 'This speaks to a lack of understanding and a need to educate yourself further'? Because I don't know where that's come from, but I wish it would go back.

No, I mean "speaking to" someone as a precursor (I think) to dating. But I don't know what it implies precisely.

OP posts:
Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 18:17

Planits · 09/12/2024 18:13

Why everything is a “hack”?! Or the clickbait that says you’re doing everything wrong: “you’ve been eating your banana wrong for years!” wtf

Yes, what's wrong with a tip?

And when did "yum, yum" become "nom nom"?

OP posts:
Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 18:18

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

No, I don't mean that.

OP posts:
BuzzieLittleBee · 09/12/2024 18:19

ADifferentPathAuDHD · 09/12/2024 17:59

Why it costs so much to hire films on Amazon when companies like Blockbuster had to have staff, locations, and physical films and charged less??? Why isn't streaming films cheaper as there are so many fewer physical costs?

Because films are on Amazon very soon after their cinema release date, so the value of the commodity is much higher. Films didn't used to be in Blockbuster until many, many months (or sometimes over a year) after their cinema release, so they didn't have the same excitement factor.

And then there's inflation of course...

And the fact that Blockbuster went bust - so the business model didn't actually work anyway (because no-one wanted the thing they were selling any more). The 'product' was priced at an artificially low level for a long time, to try and drive footfall/keep volume up, and no-one would have paid a lot more for it.

And the basic business premise of supply and demand. People pay the prices on Amazon (or whichever streaming service), the uptake is good, and so the price can inch ever higher.

And all the 'free' films to stream have to be funded (or subsidized) somehow.

So lots of reasons really!

allthatfalafel · 09/12/2024 18:19

niadainud · 09/12/2024 18:17

Yes, what's wrong with a tip?

And when did "yum, yum" become "nom nom"?

Show quote history

I believe it happened just before "spilling the beans" became "spilling the tea"

Original poster
niadainud · 09/12/2024 18:23

taxguru · 09/12/2024 18:06

Re buses, I feel your pain. At least in the past, when a bus stopped to change driver or for a break or loo stop, etc., either the driver or conductor would actually tell the passengers and give them a timescale. These days, they just leave the cab and leave passengers in limbo. So many times, I've been sat in a bus when the driver has just stopped at a bus stop, turned off the engine and beggared off. I don't know whether we'll be there 5, 10, 15 minutes. So many times, I'd have actually walked a couple of stops to get to my destination if they'd only said how long they'd be. It's maddening how buses and trains have so little regard for their passengers and basically just do what the hell they want to do, when they want to do it!

I'm sure they always used to change drivers at the beginning or end of a route.

But yes, it does rather feel like the point of the service is to get the vehicle to a specific destination, meanwhile paying fuck-all heed to whether the passengers manage to get where they're trying to get to within a reasonable time-frame.

OP posts:
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