The "Good Old Days Mentality"

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Master Han
Can someone here that's older than I am explain why so many people revere older generations and times as being superior to what we have now?

I mean, considering our advancements not only in the sciences and technological spheres, resulting in significantly improved medicinal capabilities and whatnot, but also in terms of our social conscience, with our having ended discrimination and advanced the causes of civil rights, liberty and all that stuff across the globe...

Why do politicians still get off on rapping about "traditional values"? confused

You look at the arguments of why the old days were better, and they're all extremely sketchy and grasping at straws, from "the music was better" to "divorce rates were lower (which might have been a bad thing)", etc, etc. Compared to the medical science and egalitarian policies we take for granted today, it seems kind of petty.

focus4chumps

theICONiac
Technology has caused 'social isolation' amongst us.

In the 'good ol' days' everybody knew their neighbours. Family functions were a much bigger deal.

Nowadays you can have hundreds of friends on Facebook...yet interact with really only a handful of them with any regularity. You can live beside people for years and be lucky to know their names. And except for holidays many of us are too busy to have any frequent contact with many members of our extended family.

Humans are social animals. And our current lifestyles can impede this.

We're too busy.

Master Han
^but are we not also much more tolerant of different persons and cultures, and therefore will make a wider range of connections with people of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, etc.?

theICONiac
Originally posted by Master Han
^but are we not also much more tolerant of different persons and cultures, and therefore will make a wider range of connections with people of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, etc.?

I agree this is a very positive thing, but the people you are describing in your OP are heterosexual white males...to which none of what you describe above would have affected them one way or the other. I believe the X factor here is still technology.

If you were a lesbian black woman with a mental handicap you wouldn't be pining for the 'good ol' days' smile

Master Han
Originally posted by theICONiac
I agree this is a very positive thing, but the people you are describing in your OP are heterosexual white males...to which none of what you describe above would have affected them one way or the other. I believe the X factor here is still technology.

If you were a lesbian black woman with a mental handicap you wouldn't be pining for the 'good ol' days' smile

Well, I've never really understood the whole idea of technology creating isolation. I guess it could happen if you use it wrong (which applies with everything... wink ), but often times it helps you keep in contact with people over long distances, or plan social reunions, or...you get the drift.

FistOfThe North
I always thought it's what old confederate minded white men would say about the jim crow era in fondness. Sometime used in high office like politics. And their friends are called "Good 'ol boys" or the group the "'ol boys network"..

theICONiac
Originally posted by Master Han
Well, I've never really understood the whole idea of technology creating isolation. I guess it could happen if you use it wrong (which applies with everything... wink ), but often times it helps you keep in contact with people over long distances, or plan social reunions, or...you get the drift.

To give a personal example...

I don't come from a large family. I could name upwards of 2-3 dozen aunts/uncles/cousins. But I regularly (as in holidays) have contact with maybe only upwards of a dozen of them. The rest I may be lucky to see at weddings/funerals. Why? Because they are scattered across the North American continent. Why? Because of job opportunities created by technology. A hundred years ago these same relatives would have been isolated to an area close to me that would have enabled much better relations.

And despite maybe having hundreds of Facebook friends friendship can be rather transient. Blood is thicker than water, and strong family ties should/could result in more satisfaction in relationships that would be stronger.

Technology has made us very mobile, and I believe that has hurt the family dynamic.

Reflection
The good old days is a safety/comfort zone mindset. Each generation due to the advancements in technology as less and less social lessons to teach the last as the framework or the world moves so fast. We all are watching the future from the past, it takes us a while to get our head round change, for instance Skype is really like science fiction only 5 years ago and now, being able to pick up a netbook/tablet and wander round our house having a VOiP conversation and even showing someone round our abode when they are on the other side of the world is the past. Somethings were better in the past due to perception and lack of information. Some things were better in the past due to political/social framework. That is all!

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