For something posted in ~health.mental, this was not good for my mental health. I think these ideas are pretty central in the current blob of emotions and thoughts that make up my depression and...
For something posted in ~health.mental, this was not good for my mental health. I think these ideas are pretty central in the current blob of emotions and thoughts that make up my depression and anxiety.
This was a good read. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed this bit about buff little ants: I can already see future me thinking: "How can I add muscles to this ant?" or "It's okay for this ant to have...
This was a good read. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed this bit about buff little ants:
When my eldest child was in kindergarten, she loved to make art, but she detested the assignments that tried to make math fun by asking kids to draw. If I sat her down to complete one, she would stare rebelliously at her pencil or a strand of her hair rather than submit. Then one day, while drawing a group of five ants and a group of eight ants, my kindergartener started to sketch fast. She drew ants with bulbous limbs growing out of their bodies, like chains of sausages. “Bombombom!” she cried, flapping her arms up and down. “These are their muscles.” She continued to draw and mime pumping iron, giggling to herself, delighted to have planted something in her homework that couldn’t be accounted for in the metric of correct or incorrect. She had taken drawing back.
I can already see future me thinking: "How can I add muscles to this ant?" or "It's okay for this ant to have muscles."
I'm curious how other people here deal with the validation seeking and dopamine rush of infinite, personalised content? I actively try to avoid it and "live in the moment" as much as I can, I...
I'm curious how other people here deal with the validation seeking and dopamine rush of infinite, personalised content?
I actively try to avoid it and "live in the moment" as much as I can, I don't have any social media presence (unless you count message boards like Tildes and Hacker News), and just focus on what brings me joy without caring about judgement from others.
It's a great article and it summarises what I've been feeling for a long time. I like writing technical articles because I hope they reach someone looking for a specific bit of information and...
It's a great article and it summarises what I've been feeling for a long time. I like writing technical articles because I hope they reach someone looking for a specific bit of information and makes their life easier, but I don't have comments or any social media. I have a plain, old-looking website and that's it. That's how I manage to "isolate myself" virtually, and my public online presence is limited to Tildes.
I didn't find a way of summarising why I did what I did, but this is essentially it. The constant pursuit of metrics turns art into an impersonal exercise in maximising interaction, and the ways in which that can be done are not always what resonates with one internally.
Anecdotally, this is one of the reasons I stopped playing videogames, and this is why the lines between work and personal life have become blurred to the point of no distinction for me. Even the things I used to enjoy had to be optimised to such a level where they are genuinely stressful. Plants, cooking, working on electronics, it's beyond frustrating.
I must confess, I was interested in this article but too impatient to read something so long right now. So I got AI to summarize it: The article explores the impact of the digital age on...
I must confess, I was interested in this article but too impatient to read something so long right now. So I got AI to summarize it:
The article explores the impact of the digital age on self-worth, examining how algorithms and social media have transformed how we measure value. It discusses how personal experiences, art, and even friendships are now commodified, with self-worth increasingly determined by external metrics like likes, followers, and engagement stats. The constant drive for validation through digital means creates a never-ending loop of dissatisfaction, alienating individuals from their intrinsic sense of value and self. The piece highlights the challenges of finding meaning in a data-driven, hyper-commercialized world.
The AI (perhaps unsurprisingly) summarises it factually but loses the soul or the beat of the article. The main theme it presents is quite a poignant one, and not restricted to the digital age....
The AI (perhaps unsurprisingly) summarises it factually but loses the soul or the beat of the article.
The main theme it presents is quite a poignant one, and not restricted to the digital age. Internal validation will always result in more life satisfaction. You could fill a book with the quotes about this subject.
I loved the way the author illustrates the idea, with a kid who loves a hobby (roller skating) even though he has no idea what he’s doing; however when presented with someone ‘better’ the simple joy of the hobby is lost.
In part a symptom of our constantly rushed society, but also in the ease of drawing comparisons between ourselves and the best people in the world, it can be hard to find satisfaction in just being sorta okay at something.
As a personal example, playing Stardew Valley for the first time I had a blast, but on a second playthrough where I was trying to min-max the game and comparing my progress to other people I suddenly lost that childish fun.
This is the exact phenomenon that made me completely ditch competitive games and exclusively play solo / co-op games, and even some co-op games have too many competitive aspects for my tastes....
As a personal example, playing Stardew Valley for the first time I had a blast, but on a second playthrough where I was trying to min-max the game and comparing my progress to other people I suddenly lost that childish fun.
This is the exact phenomenon that made me completely ditch competitive games and exclusively play solo / co-op games, and even some co-op games have too many competitive aspects for my tastes. (Loot grabbing, xp not being split evenly, etc. Path of Exile, I'm looking at you!)
I played competitive UT99 back in the day - every loss was awful and every victory was merely a relief. It leads to a very toxic and hateful community, always bitching at each other about ratios or whatever else. Compare the League of Legends or Call of Duty community to that of Deep Rock Galactic or Monster Hunter - it's night and day.
For something posted in ~health.mental, this was not good for my mental health. I think these ideas are pretty central in the current blob of emotions and thoughts that make up my depression and anxiety.
The line between poignant and painful can be thin and fuzzy.
I hope you can do some genuine self-care!
This was a good read. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed this bit about buff little ants:
I can already see future me thinking: "How can I add muscles to this ant?" or "It's okay for this ant to have muscles."
I'm curious how other people here deal with the validation seeking and dopamine rush of infinite, personalised content?
I actively try to avoid it and "live in the moment" as much as I can, I don't have any social media presence (unless you count message boards like Tildes and Hacker News), and just focus on what brings me joy without caring about judgement from others.
It's a great article and it summarises what I've been feeling for a long time. I like writing technical articles because I hope they reach someone looking for a specific bit of information and makes their life easier, but I don't have comments or any social media. I have a plain, old-looking website and that's it. That's how I manage to "isolate myself" virtually, and my public online presence is limited to Tildes.
I didn't find a way of summarising why I did what I did, but this is essentially it. The constant pursuit of metrics turns art into an impersonal exercise in maximising interaction, and the ways in which that can be done are not always what resonates with one internally.
Anecdotally, this is one of the reasons I stopped playing videogames, and this is why the lines between work and personal life have become blurred to the point of no distinction for me. Even the things I used to enjoy had to be optimised to such a level where they are genuinely stressful. Plants, cooking, working on electronics, it's beyond frustrating.
I must confess, I was interested in this article but too impatient to read something so long right now. So I got AI to summarize it:
The article explores the impact of the digital age on self-worth, examining how algorithms and social media have transformed how we measure value. It discusses how personal experiences, art, and even friendships are now commodified, with self-worth increasingly determined by external metrics like likes, followers, and engagement stats. The constant drive for validation through digital means creates a never-ending loop of dissatisfaction, alienating individuals from their intrinsic sense of value and self. The piece highlights the challenges of finding meaning in a data-driven, hyper-commercialized world.
The AI (perhaps unsurprisingly) summarises it factually but loses the soul or the beat of the article.
The main theme it presents is quite a poignant one, and not restricted to the digital age. Internal validation will always result in more life satisfaction. You could fill a book with the quotes about this subject.
I loved the way the author illustrates the idea, with a kid who loves a hobby (roller skating) even though he has no idea what he’s doing; however when presented with someone ‘better’ the simple joy of the hobby is lost.
In part a symptom of our constantly rushed society, but also in the ease of drawing comparisons between ourselves and the best people in the world, it can be hard to find satisfaction in just being sorta okay at something.
As a personal example, playing Stardew Valley for the first time I had a blast, but on a second playthrough where I was trying to min-max the game and comparing my progress to other people I suddenly lost that childish fun.
This is the exact phenomenon that made me completely ditch competitive games and exclusively play solo / co-op games, and even some co-op games have too many competitive aspects for my tastes. (Loot grabbing, xp not being split evenly, etc. Path of Exile, I'm looking at you!)
I played competitive UT99 back in the day - every loss was awful and every victory was merely a relief. It leads to a very toxic and hateful community, always bitching at each other about ratios or whatever else. Compare the League of Legends or Call of Duty community to that of Deep Rock Galactic or Monster Hunter - it's night and day.