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Mental health and a changing society

justanotherguySenior Contributor12 Apr 2023, 3:44 pm AEST

Mental health and a changing society

Hi all, just posing an observation.

We are now 20 years into the 21st century (by Western reckoning) and I believe the peak of our modern life was 20 years ago. I remember the last few years of last century were genuinely great (for me and seemingly many others). Since then we have witnessed the explosion of social media and proliferation of internet based commerce to the point where it's hard to keep a grip on reality. I picked up an interesting book recently detailing the effect social media manipulation has on our brains and no wonder I struggle with it all. I remember I first got on Facebook in about 2006 which is when I also developed depression (funny enough). I've never made the connection until now. Now throw in AI and normal humans don't stand a chance. I'm sure every civilization and society reaches a peak (I haven't done an in-depth study) and I've seen a few posts on YouTube declaring this to be the case. Plus add in the run of end-of-days movies such as Hunger Games, Matrix, and the endless superhero movies trying to save the world, etc, etc, and I think the writing is on the wall. I don't think we are all going to disappear into thin air, but it might be time to give the endless push of society a rest for a while.

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In response to: Mental health and a changing society

penyourfeelsCasual Contributor14 Apr 2023, 4:06 am AEST

Re: Mental health and a changing society

Hey @Former-Member

I can imagine that it is stressful to fully relax considering the climate and your feelings around it. Have you considered joining a climate action group?

There is also this organization called Psychology for a safe climate which might offer some insight into coping with climate change. https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/what-do-we-do/

In response to: Mental health and a changing society

chibamSenior Contributor14 Apr 2023, 6:00 am AEST

Re: Mental health and a changing society

Hi @Historylover . I haven't tried ChatGPT myself yet; I just know it by reputation. I'm glad it was able to help you with your genealogy research. Do you have any confirmation that the computer's information is legit, and not just something it 'imagined'? I ask because most of what I've seen coming out of AI seems to be fiction; although I've also heard that it's being used quite often to write non-fiction essays for college classes, as well.

I can't help but remember a scene in the 1980s movie Wargames, where Matthew Broderick discovers that the military's AI mainframe is planning to launch it's nuclear missiles at Russia in 48 hours. He asks the computer: "Is that just a simulation, or is that in reality?" The computer responds: "What's the differance?" The computer had no concept of the differance between fact and fiction. The real world, the simulated world within it's databanks, it was all just a bunch of 1s and 0s to the computer. All the same.

When I look at all this convincing fiction being churned out by modern AIs, it likewise leaves me wondering as to whether the first AI to achieve conciousness will comprehend the differance between the real world and fiction.

Sorry. I'm prattling on.

I have a bit of a like-hate relationship with computers, as you've probably picked up. Long and short of it is that when I was young, other people decided that I was destined to be stuck in front of one forever, and that didn't agree with me. But it nonetheless came true. I probably speak on the subject with more resentment then is fair. I know computers do a lot of good for a lot of people. But my own biases usually cloud me from giving them their dues in that regard.

In response to: Re: Mental health and a changing society

HistoryloverSenior Contributor14 Apr 2023, 7:31 am AEST

Re: Mental health and a changing society

I know that there is a possibility of the AI response being in error, @chibam, in fact I think they mention that before we use it for any task. They take no responsibility for it being correct, and I have learned that if users get sued for plagiarism as a result of using it, ChatGPT is not liable for any legal or other costs. It must be going to start presenting a minefield of problems into the future when plagiarised works start getting picked up on. A whole new level of problems generated by computerisation of our lives.

I haven't done any genealogy for 20 or so years, having gone as far back as I could reasonably expect to be correct. Then I took to other pursuits. However, it's great to at least have an input re my married surname. It's always been annoying not to know, or even have a clue about. Now, at least, I have a reasonable possibility.

I must say that I have found PowerPoint a fun 'toy' for my course presentations. Perhaps you have seen or used it? It provides many different background themes for our slides over which we do the vocal presentation. Fabulous tool, but then I always ask myself is it creating artificial needs? They create tools, we find it fun and then create procedures to use them that we otherwise would not have done. There seems to me to be too many 'presentations' these days, and it seems more like who does the best presentation, rather than question if a 'presentation' was even necessary or just an excuse for self-promotion.

That comment "What's the difference?" is so prescient, isn't it? I find your magnificent mind to be so wasted, @chibam. You see deeply into things and derive meaning which may pass me by, and then you remember it long into the future and see its continuing relevance. I wish someone could set your mind in a direction where it could flourish, and fulfil you as you deserve.

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