To as what you don't like about modern life and stuck two fingers up to?

[thelastshadowpuppet]

For me, it was my mobile phone and apps.

I felt like I couldn't get away from notifications, the beeping, bopping and hopping of my phone drove me mad.

Needing apps for everything. Many of which are used just once.

People expecting me to contactable 24/7.

I saw an ad not long ago for a household appliance (I think it was a dishwasher or a washing machine), which could be controlled by an app. WTF is this where we're going? That walking to the kitchen to manually start something is now considered too much of a chore? Or telling a machine to "add to my shopping list" is easier than actually writing a list? Another is t.v's. Who needs a 50" tv with more channels than anyone could possibly watch?
Everything these days is just style over substance..." buy the latest smartphone, it's exactly the same as the one you have but look how shiny it is".

This made me smile because people don't even tend to use the word mobile anymore, esp people under about 30. The default for the word phone is a smartphone, so needing to specify it's a mobile phone is no longer necessary - associating a phone with a landline is a thing of the past for many people.

Netflix. Spend forever scrolling through crap tv shows to find one that looks ok only to watch the first episode to find it is indeed yet another crap tv show.

Cancelled subscription and barely watch any TV anymore.

Content culture, everything being online to look up and watch. Yes it’s useful having infinite amounts of information at my finger tips but I don’t have time to listen to all the pre amble and nonsense before the presenter gets to the point. The rare times I watch YouTube it’s at 1.5x normal speed, so much waffle and pausing.

I belong to a club which holds all its meetings/lectures online (since covid) I was asked yesterday whether I’d watched any of them and I said no, too much content not enough time, I find passively sitting in front of a screen incredibly dull, I’m an active person and like doing things.

Cars, there are far too many of them, they're an ugly blot on the landscape, wreck the planet, and make life more difficult for car-free people like myself to function. I know they've been around a while, so it depends how modern an era you're referring to?
If strictly 21st century, or even just the last few years, then aspects of smartphones. I have to say I love some things about them - the maps, the camera, WhatsApp to stay in touch with people. But, I get stressed by the fact people often expect you to have it on you at all times, and to never miss calls or messages till later. I often go for long coastal or country walks without my phone, to escape the modern world; and have on occasion returned to several messages from the same person wondering why I hadn't picked up yet! Most of my close circle now know I often only check my phone once every few hours.
Overpopulation. That's a modern problem. I like people, and am certainly not a misanthrope, but there are far too many of us!
The climate crisis, which has been caused by humans of course...

Also the cost of housing. I know there have been other periods in history when housing has been difficult to obtain. But the last few years it's become almost impossible to get a decent affordable home for many people, including myself!

False nails, gel nails, false eyelashes, brow fillers all just seem like too much effort for a look that I don't want on me. I can't imagine doing my job with the long nails in particular (care work), though some do. I don't have a problem with those who go for this look, it's just not for me.

Reading the news. Used to keep up but barely look at it now, it's all just too ugly.

Would also massively second all of this but especially the bit about cars. People think that only a few unfortunate people suffer from pollution related illness such as asthma but in reality all of us live with permanent scarring in our lungs due to car pollution. There ate so many illnesses that are caused and exacerbated by it but no one pays it any mind as it's just too convenient. It really is sickening tbh.

I HATE social media and am barely on anything, but I am on Facebook, because it's the easiest way to keep in touch with several old friends, particularly ones who live overseas. People quite often say to me 'I see you're not on Instagram' or 'I see you're on Twitter, but you never post anything'. I'm only on Twitter to follow the school stuff for my kids, that's it.

I honestly hate SM with a passion and think it's responsible for most of the ills of modern, Western society. I see how it divides and isolates people. I was talking to my kids about it the other day - how life was genuinely better when I was a kid/teen/20-something. You hung out with your friends. You talked. You went round to their house. No one took photos or video of all the stupid, idiotic stuff you said you and did so it couldn't haunt you forever. It's one genie I desperately wish we could put back in the bottle. But then, I guess MN is social media isn't it?

Businesses not accepting cash and blaming Covid for it. They were doing this long before covid.
It is creating more debt as it's far too easy to tap tap away and not think about how much you are actually spending when it is not hard cash leaving your hand.

I love technology and its efficiency and speed (when it works!) but I do dislike being potentially contactable all day every day.

I hate that emails as a way of keeping in touch have died the death. I was always someone who loved sending and receiving letters, then I switched to email and kept in touch this way with friends and family who lived at some distance. I'm not great on the phone and love writing. But everyone just shoots off these little scattergun texts and WhatsApps now and my brain just isn't fast enough to keep up. By the time I'm halfway through a reply, the other person has pinged off several more WhatsApps AND changed the subject. The only emails I get now are from bloody Argos etc confirming my order!!

Oh yes and bloody apps. I couldn't park somewhere last month because i'd decided to a have phone free day but there was no parking meter, you could only pay via the app.

@Bloodyel I'm glad I'm not the only anti-car poster on here. Yes I totally agree about respiratory damage caused by fumes. I wish it was talked about more, as I think many people are unaware. I'd love a car-free, or at least car-reduced, world 🌎

Oh definitely, yes! As I'm sure you know it isn't just respiratory damage but it affects pretty much any part of our health. And of course as you mentioned the impacts on the environment. Hopefully things will become cleaner over time but it is such a massive blight on everything and one that people overlook as they're so used to it.

but certain airlines charge you for this. Ryanair etc. the smaller ones

Agree with a lot of the above, have no issue w smart phones but hate the toxicity of SM and so glad it wasn’t around when I was young.
Also particularly hate cosmetic surgery/fillers/trout pouts etc. All girls looking the same & if you don’t conform then what?
Americanisation of society - proms, gender reveal parties/baby showers/graduation from nursery (wtf!).
Im not averse to marking occasions at all, but it’s overkill and too much consumerism.

@ClinkeyMonkey yes I agree! I love sending/receiving a good, long, newsy email. I hate typing a message on a tiny screen though. I just call the person or send them an email if I have anything substantial to say!

And the worst - post-restrictions
Still not being able to see a GP in person unless you beg or they have to run a test (or call 111 to get them to get you in!).
There is a place for phone consults but not in every case.
Waitrose binning the free coffee and papers! We haven’t got a weekend paper since.

@Bloodyel actually, I'm not too proud to admit that I don't know as much as I ought to about the extent of the damage to human health, exhaust fumes cause. So, you've inspired me to research the matter further. I'm obviously very aware of respiratory illnesses that can be caused and exacerbated. I may do some reading on the other impacts, this very moment! The more knowledge I have, the more I can sensibly discuss, with the pro-car tribe. Thank you

Presumably this isn't the football coaches' full time job? Also I would estimate that a football coach would be dealing with 20+ sets of parents. Imagine if none of those parents used the app. They would be 'pulling to one side" 20+ people and trying to keep track of it all.

I hate the 24/7 life. How everything and everyone is expected to be available 24/7.

Social media
24/7 news
Filtered photos
Smart watches
QR codes
Google Earth
Kindle

But mostly - smart phones. I have one and wish I didn’t - it’s difficult to get rid as I’ve been sucked in and use it for so much (camera, sat nav, banking..). I hate seeing people at bus stops - or kids walking down the road - all glued to their phones! I’ve said this before, but it’s like the matrix - plugged in, so many people controlled by a machine.

Well cases are rising by 40% so it's not over.

Not particularly social media because I enjoy it and see many upsides. But I really hate the fact that everyone thinks they have an equal voice on certain issues. Climate Change is probably the best example, where people think their views are as scientifically valid as scientists.