Culture

[Irish#1]

 

[ColoradoIrish]

It's all Al Gore's fault for inventing the Internet. Something we can all get behind 😂

 

[Bishop2b5]

The decline in family time (and to a lesser degree, with friends) is worrisome. There has to be a strong correlation with that and the negative change in mental health and happiness. Being socially isolated and reading biased, negative garbage 24/7 isn't healthy. Even when you look at family members in the room together, it's often with all of them isolated on their phones. This video is saddening and not a good sign.

 

[Irish#1]

The decline in family time (and to a lesser degree, with friends) is worrisome. There has to be a strong correlation with that and the negative change in mental health and happiness. Being socially isolated and reading biased, negative garbage 24/7 isn't healthy. Even when you look at family members in the room together, it's often with all of them isolated on their phones. This video is saddening and not a good sign.

This is spot on. The sad thing is the younger generations that grow up with a device in their hands will not recognize or understand this at all.

My MIL passed a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time we had all the kids and grandkids together in about four years. Everyone was so excited to see each other talking and enjoying their company that phones weren't being used. I looked at my wife and said, "Look at the room. This is f'ing awesome".

 

[BuaConstrictor]

The sad thing is the younger generations that grow up with a device in their hands

Says the guy who relies on that device for all of their incorrectly sourced news.

I looked at my wife and said, "Look at the room. This is f'ing awesome".

I'm sure there being only white people in the room was a big thrill for you.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

HHS plans to cut the national suicide hotline’s program for LGBTQ youth

In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.

www.motherjones.com

 

[calvegas04]

 

[BuaConstrictor]

Context: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer/restaurant-meals-program

Even more context:

*also need to add that I find it interesting that this was put into the "Culture" topic, rather than say....the "Economy" topic

 

[calvegas04]

 

[Irish#1]

Now they don't like a dress code. lol

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2025/updating-our-dress-code-for-a-more-consistent-coffeehouse-experience/

 

[calvegas04]

Now they don't like a dress code. lol

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2025/updating-our-dress-code-for-a-more-consistent-coffeehouse-experience/

I would walk in and out of Starbucks if that thing was making my coffee. Luckily my Starbucks around the corner is staffed by cuties

 

[Bluto]

Fuckin hell. This dude and the rest of the tech bros are legit insane. Why anyone would want to allow a bunch of antisocial weirdos like this guy to accumulate so much power is beyond me. I think META should be taxed and regulated into oblivion.

Mark Zuckerberg Gets Roasted for Saying the Average American Has 'Fewer Than Three Friends’ While Pushing AI Chatbots — SFist

Is Mark Zuckerberg okay? The internet is certainly questioning his grip on reality over his comment on a new podcast, while he was hyping Facebook’s AI chatbots, when he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

apple.news

“…he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

“Zuckerberg’s pitch here is that he’s trying to normalize having additional AI friends.”

 

[TorontoGold]

Fuckin hell. This dude and the rest of the tech bros are legit insane. Why anyone would want to allow a bunch of antisocial weirdos like this guy to accumulate so much power is beyond me. I think META should be taxed and regulated into oblivion.

Mark Zuckerberg Gets Roasted for Saying the Average American Has 'Fewer Than Three Friends’ While Pushing AI Chatbots — SFist

Is Mark Zuckerberg okay? The internet is certainly questioning his grip on reality over his comment on a new podcast, while he was hyping Facebook’s AI chatbots, when he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

apple.news

“…he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

“Zuckerberg’s pitch here is that he’s trying to normalize having additional AI friends.”

Zuck watched HER and was like "Yes!!! The moral of the story is to have AI friends!"

 

[drayer54]

Fuckin hell. This dude and the rest of the tech bros are legit insane. Why anyone would want to allow a bunch of antisocial weirdos like this guy to accumulate so much power is beyond me. I think META should be taxed and regulated into oblivion.

Mark Zuckerberg Gets Roasted for Saying the Average American Has 'Fewer Than Three Friends’ While Pushing AI Chatbots — SFist

Is Mark Zuckerberg okay? The internet is certainly questioning his grip on reality over his comment on a new podcast, while he was hyping Facebook’s AI chatbots, when he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

apple.news

“…he said that the average American has “fewer than three friends.”

“Zuckerberg’s pitch here is that he’s trying to normalize having additional AI friends.”

Leveraging the government to destroy things you disagree with is so on brand.

 

[drayer54]

Zuck watched HER and was like "Yes!!! The moral of the story is to have AI friends!"

The dude is a total whack job. I don’t need friends in a headset. People already struggle to communicate normally. Hopefully this fails tremendously.

 

[Bluto]

Leveraging the government to destroy things you disagree with is so on brand.

I see. You probably wanted asbestos to just not work out as well.

Anyhow, I think you are projecting.

What you are describing is exactly what Trump is doing across multiple sectors of society and the economy.

Your lack of self awareness is pretty astounding.

 

[drayer54]

I see. You probably wanted asbestos to just not work out as well.

Anyhow, I think you are projecting.

What you are describing is exactly what Trump is doing across multiple sectors of society and the economy.

Your lack of self awareness is pretty astounding.

A verifiable health hazard and people you disagree with are not at all the same thing.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

A verifiable health hazard and people you disagree with are not at all the same thing.

Well, Blazer and his entire family are soaked in cat piss...so...lots of crossover there.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

Leveraging the government to destroy things you disagree with is so on brand.

What you are describing is exactly what Trump is doing across multiple sectors of society and the economy.

Trump Suggests Republicans Start Expelling Dems From Congress

President Donald Trump called on Republicans to expel Democratic lawmakers from Congress over baseless claims of election crimes.

www.rollingstone.com

 

[Bluto]

A verifiable health hazard and people you disagree with are not at all the same thing.

So, social media and the monopolies that largely control it have had no negative impacts on the health of the country/society.

That’s an interesting take.

I seem to recall a time not too long ago when conservatives were screeching about how the coastal tech elites were trying to turn everyone trans and that Tic-Toc was going to destroy America.

 

[drayer54]

So, social media and the monopolies that largely control it have had no negative impacts on the health of the country/society.

That’s an interesting take.

I seem to recall a time not too long ago when conservatives were screeching about how the coastal tech elites were trying to turn everyone trans and that Tic-Toc was going to destroy America.

Of course they do, I'm just not trying to weaponize government against them.

 

[Bluto]

Of course they do, I'm just not trying to weaponize government against them.

So, regulating (possibly into non existence) things that have a demonstrable negative impact on the health and well being of society is “weaponizing” the government against those things.

Yeah. I disagree with that framing. In fact that’s one of the main reasons for a government to exist.

Also, the politicians you support have made it clear that they have no problem “weaponizing” the government against speech they don’t agree with, judges, colleges, wind energy, solar energy, the peaceful transfer of power and on and on.

 

[drayer54]

So, regulating (possibly into non existence) things that have a demonstrable negative impact on the health and well being of society is “weaponizing” the government against those things.

Yeah. I disagree with that framing. In fact that’s one of the main reasons for a government to exist.

Also, the politicians you support have made it clear that they have no problem “weaponizing” the government against speech they don’t agree with, judges, colleges, wind energy, solar energy, the peaceful transfer of power and on and on.

This is the same logic used by the Covid tyrants to suppress and restrain people who said Covid originated in a Chinese lab, that certain treatments and immunities existed, and that the vax didn’t prevent infection.

 

[Bluto]

This is the same logic used by the Covid tyrants to suppress and restrain people who said Covid originated in a Chinese lab, that certain treatments and immunities existed, and that the vax didn’t prevent infection.

I see.

You agreed that social media has a negative impact on the health of society and then deflect by introducing “COVID tyrants” while supporting politicians that are acting like “tyrants” based on the criteria you presented.

You’re either a conspiracy minded idiot or just like to argue in bad faith.

 

[drayer54]

I see.

You agreed that social media has a negative impact on the health of society and then deflect by introducing “COVID tyrants” while supporting politicians that are acting like “tyrants” based on the criteria you presented.

You’re either a conspiracy minded idiot or just like to argue in bad faith.

I’m pointing out that you want to weaponize government in support of your beliefs, something that is very dangerous. Just because we think something is bad, doesn’t mean we use the authority of the government to destroy it. The covid link is very real because people of the same ideology felt a safety threat by people who turned out to be right, and tried to suppress and go after them. It’s a dangerous and extreme viewpoint, imho.

 

[Bluto]

I’m pointing out that you want to weaponize government in support of your beliefs, something that is very dangerous. Just because we think something is bad, doesn’t mean we use the authority of the government to destroy it. The covid link is very real because people of the same ideology felt a safety threat by people who turned out to be right, and tried to suppress and go after them. It’s a dangerous and extreme viewpoint, imho.

This whole idea of categorizing regulation as “weaponization” is inaccurate and misleading.

You agreed that social media is harmful to society and the country. That being the case, I think the government should do what it is supposed to do, act in the best interest of its citizens by regulating what we both agree is harmful.

That’s not some off the wall idea as you tried to frame it. In fact one could argue it’s a rather conservative viewpoint. Case in point, TV, radio and even comic books were regulated from the jump. I don’t see a clear distinction between those types of media and social media.

I find it strange that you are taking this free market/free speech absolutist stance on this while at the same time trying to pump up a politician and political party that is actively taking a heavy handed approach to interfering with both capital and labor markets around the globe as well as rounding people up for the slightest criticism of a foreign country.

 

[drayer54]

I think META should be taxed and regulated into oblivion.

This whole idea of categorizing regulation as “weaponization” is inaccurate and misleading.

You agreed that social media is harmful to society and the country. That being the case, I think the government should do what it is supposed to do, act in the best interest of its citizens by regulating what we both agree is harmful.

That’s not some off the wall idea as you tried to frame it. In fact one could argue it’s a rather conservative viewpoint. Case in point, TV, radio and even comic books were regulated from the jump. I don’t see a clear distinction between those types of media and social media.

I find it strange that you are taking this free market/free speech absolutist stance on this while at the same time trying to pump up a politician and political party that is actively taking a heavy handed approach to interfering with both capital and labor markets around the globe as well as rounding people up for the slightest criticism of a foreign country.

When you choose to use regulations to destroy something you don’t like, that’s textbook weaponization.

Normal regulation is fine if it adequately serves the public interest in an impartial and productive manner. The problem is that it often doesn’t.

I don’t think I’ve ever endorsed the tariff approach. It could work, but it has side effects. I wholeheartedly agree with checking China.

I have zero issues with enforcing borders and revoking Visas for bad actors.

 

[Bluto]

When you choose to use regulations to destroy something you don’t like, that’s textbook weaponization.

Normal regulation is fine if it adequately serves the public interest in an impartial and productive manner. The problem is that it often doesn’t.

I don’t think I’ve ever endorsed the tariff approach. It could work, but it has side effects. I wholeheartedly agree with checking China.

I have zero issues with enforcing borders and revoking Visas for bad actors.

Ok.

It’s not about not “liking” anything. It is the fact that something is demonstrably harmful and or destructive in its current form (again something you have agreed with). In this case social media with the specific example being META.

If something is harmful and destructive there is a pretty strong conservative argument for regulating and or taxing said thing into non existence as opposed to your idea of what constitutes “normal” regulation comprised of taking a classical liberal/laissez faire capitalist approach of “wait and see” as to how things shakeout.

As to the last statement, you demonstrate that you’re a complete hypocrite because you are willing to support the “weaponizing” of government when it supports your personal ideology in so much as there should be one set of rules for capital and another set of rules for labor in a supposed “free market” system and that criticizing a specific foreign nation constitutes being a “bad actor”.

 

[Irish#1]

If he ends up in prison, this kid is in for a rude awakening. Lol

 

[Irish#1]