Cicero complained about youth losing their way 2000 years ago. Today it’s TikTok or AI or attention spans. But is the world really changing, or are we just haunted by how vivid life felt when we were new to it?
This essay explores that idea, without nostalgia bait or rage farming. Just a quiet take on why memory often feels more real than the present.
Nope, the world is really changing, in quantifiable ways. Certainly there is a human tendency to romanticize the past, but if you haven't noticed major upheavals like social media, climate change, and geopolitical realignment, you're not paying attention.
The world has always been changing in quantifiable ways. Today's social media has not been more impactful, socially, than printed press, the telegraph, the telephone, television, the computer, cell phones or the internet first were. Climate change has been an issue since a lot longer than you probably realize; and before that, environmental issues not under the umbrella term certainly were. I'm not even going to discuss geopolitical alignment. In historical terms, there's really not much to be seen here today.
But this is thinly-veiled AI slop vomited onto the web to sell a shitty "Cassette Tape Player, Maypott Portable Cassette Player Cassette Tape Recorder Audio Cassette to Digital Converter via USB, Compatible with PC/Laptops, Built-in Speaker&Headphone, Full Stereo" and that is not alright.
Cicero complained about youth losing their way 2000 years ago. Today it’s TikTok or AI or attention spans. But is the world really changing, or are we just haunted by how vivid life felt when we were new to it?
This essay explores that idea, without nostalgia bait or rage farming. Just a quiet take on why memory often feels more real than the present.
Nope, the world is really changing, in quantifiable ways. Certainly there is a human tendency to romanticize the past, but if you haven't noticed major upheavals like social media, climate change, and geopolitical realignment, you're not paying attention.
The world has always been changing in quantifiable ways. Today's social media has not been more impactful, socially, than printed press, the telegraph, the telephone, television, the computer, cell phones or the internet first were. Climate change has been an issue since a lot longer than you probably realize; and before that, environmental issues not under the umbrella term certainly were. I'm not even going to discuss geopolitical alignment. In historical terms, there's really not much to be seen here today.
The kids are alright.
But this is thinly-veiled AI slop vomited onto the web to sell a shitty "Cassette Tape Player, Maypott Portable Cassette Player Cassette Tape Recorder Audio Cassette to Digital Converter via USB, Compatible with PC/Laptops, Built-in Speaker&Headphone, Full Stereo" and that is not alright.