To think the 90's/early 2000's was when we peaked and everything has gone downhill since due to technology

[SonnyHoney]

To think the 90s/early 2000s was when we peaked and everything has gone downhill since due to technology.

Bear in mind I was only a child/teen then (mid 30s now).
There was just the right amount of technology.
People just seemed happier.

I wish I could have raised my children in a similar environment to what my mother raised me in.

It depends on your circumstances 1970s for me was the low, fsm family, cold house, miserable childhood. University was hand to mouth too.

90s through to now have been mostly happy. Earning decent money, good career, rotten childhood firmly in the past.

My ds was born in 2008. He has grown up with limited tech but a warm, happy rural home. He's working, cheerful, nice school, doing a'levels now. No anxiety, looking forward to reading engineering. Finances could be better but we'll manage. 😊

That's because they're directing their anger upwards toward the dysfunctional society that actually deserves it, rather than downwards toward the weaker, less popular or "different" among their own ranks.

What makes you think it's irreversible? Plenty of people simply make the choice not to use it. Most could if they wanted to.

And because schools don't do proper discipline any more! in case we upset them of course.

I think there is often a "golden time" which each of us feels differently about.For me the 90s were great .Had my DC then and was young (mid 30s). second baby after 3 years of " trying" Got a dog then got pregnant! Since then though there have been good times I think .SM is blamed for a lot of things, but bullying and racism were still prevelent sadly then. Its always a fount of knowledge ,many things I always wondered about have been answered! As a senior lady I think as you look back at your life, you dont always appreciate things as well as you could have .

I would stop the world in 2000. Pre 9/11 so everything felt more innocent and less paranoid and scary. Internet was around but no social media. Everyone had mobiles that only text and called but still felt revolutionary.

I often wonder what other countries must make of us these days.
Over populated, large numbers of people who cannot work due to anxiety or some neurological issue, unable to manage our borders. We must look horribly weak to many. Fractured politics, prisons overflowing so much we let people out early. Potholes everywhere. A lack of unified identify. People earning minimum money for modest jobs but the employer gets a wage subsidy from the taxpayer. Basic infrastructure issues. Water owned by foreign companies. We don’t manufacture and make anything anymore.
Compare and contrast this to an upbringing I had. No bumper to bumper driving. Not overcrowded. Employment expected and undertaken. Employers have to cough up for the best staff. We made things other people wanted to buy. We owned things, our infrastructure, our heating etc. Everyone could get a doctor and a dentist. Sure we didn’t have four x fours we did not really own outside the over mortgaged four bed box detached house ( that may have issues). But it was better. We had fun too.

I feel very lucky to have grown up in the 90s as I used to hang out with my friends and actually talk to them, not just show them stuff on my phone. No social media which helped as I was so insecure anyway. Being allowed to play outside on the street gave me confidence and independence I still recognise in myself today and I think parenting was easier as kids did their own thing more.

i also agree that 9/11 was a game changer and ended the fun, relaxed one long party attitude of the 90s and shit got serious.

I do think kids are more accepting of ‘difference’ now (I work with kids) and slightly less bullying over the years of working in this area. Also more awareness of sexism with the me too movement. I think we are slightly more accepting of different body types in women but that could change with weight loss drugs.

To think 100 years ago Britain was a world leader and, colonialism aside, seen quite aspirationally by other countries.

To this!

My musing is that humans (men) always have to push things too far. Things are good a real improvement for everyone but no it’s not enough. We have to keep pushing on and on. Invading countries. Why not just stop at mobiles. Imagine not having smart phones. Extreme porn. Fucking AI taking all the kids jobs. Why keep going? It’s insane if you think about it. Pushing on to the next thing. Why can’t we just stop and enjoy life?

Do you think? Dc stories from school suggest otherwise. The arsehole dc from the 1990s are now arsehole parents…

Better to be a mediocre country than have an empire of other countries we’ve taken over, oppressed and stolen their resources.

I don't think it's about the decade so much it's about your point in life. In some aspects of life technology has made things way better, the thread I read earlier about the hard graft our grandmother's did when they were mother's and how washing machines, robot hoovers and dishwashers mean our life is much easier. But of course there's the flip side of remote working and 24hour emails which increase stress. However, I reckon midlife with lots of responsibilities and more awareness of your mortality was always a shitty, anxiety inducing period. Late teens and carefree early 20's was always more fun and people have fewer worries.

@Monty34 I'll admit the potholes and foreign owned water but we do manufacture stuff, just not cars/heavy engineering. Our creative industries and science based sectors are booming to name just two.
I chose where to live for no congestion, clean air, ample employment, easy access to a gp and a dentist (next village).
London and the South East are crammed and infrastructure is creaking but not everywhere is like that. I'll never own a 4x4 (don't need or want one) but a comfortable home and fun are achievable..

I’m grateful about some advances in technology.
Technology isn’t all internet, AI and robots taking jobs. Advances in medicine mean my daughter will now have a “bionic” leg rather than amputation for her cancer. Her consultant says just 5 years ago would likely have been amputation.

Otherwise I broadly agree. The lack of human interaction particularly is worrying. Anxious teenagers struggling to get on with life rather than being out and about. 80s and 90s were golden years for me!

For me the 1980s and 90s were the golden age. In the late 80s and early 90s I was a mature student doing a series of degrees. So no personal responsibility. In the 90s - early 2000s I was working as an academic and had plenty of money to travel. There were mobiles but not smart phones so I could practice my hobby of being "difficult to contact" and not becoming involved. Smart phones make it harder but I know some older people struggle with them so I can always prentend to be a non-techie.

It's not tech as such. It's social media. SM tears communities apart because consensus doesn't drive engagement but division does.
Social media also favours short-form writing and is killing off our ability to write long thought-out arguments.

Is that what they are doing?

According to the news channels they're murdering younger children, forming gangs and stabbing class mates and beating old ladies with their own walking sticks and throwing them in rivers !

What matters, as a country, is how we manage ourselves going forward. That is largely down to those aged around forty. You will be the ones in key positions in companies making decisions, in Councils, in Government, the judiciary. Older people will have died, retired.
What changes would you make ? To improve life for all.

And how we raise our dcs. Stop telling them they can all be premier footballers or pop stars. Teach them to choose well, to be healthy, decent, hard working.
Not to waste time or effort on trivia and superficial rubbish.

Obviously some things have got better and somethings have got worse. I suspect OP means overall well being for the majority of people.

I dislike the impact of social media, but I think in 20 years time the impact of AI will have made the social media revolution look like child’s play.

I agree.

Oh yes, social media on steroids with other delightful side effects like mass unemployment and societal collapse.

I completely agree with the OP.

Since the early 2000s I think, with few exceptions, we have seen the enshittification of everything at the expense of huge profit for multinationals and a few billionaires.

With regard to consumer goods almost everything has gone downhill except cars. £2 dresses that fall apart after one wear, hideous chocolate, plastic crap that doesn't even do the job it was made to do and goes straight to landfill.

People are much less optimistic and happy now and seem to have a life full of angst and short of joy. Ill health, including mental health seem almost built in now.