Originally it was going to be “over the last twenty years” but I decided to be more flexible.

A lot of discussions about how society has changed or how the world is different always circle around to smartphones, social media, “no one talks to each other in person, they’re on their phones always” and the like.

Outside of those topics, what else has changed, by your perception?

  • Flickerby@lemm.ee
    0·
    1 个月前

    There’s not as many people outside just…existing. I’m not that old but I remember just going outside and seeing people just not doing anything in particular everywhere, now it seems like everyone always has some place to rush to and no one is allowed to just exist in public places anymore. Maybe that also has something to do with my perspective shifting has I got older, but I still feel like it’s true.

    Also bugs. There are like NO fucking bugs anymore. Couple decades ago you could walk out and get sandblasted by a million different bugs and now everything just feels so fucking dead and sterile and depressed. It’s like outside was replaced by a clinic and no one bothered to complain.

    • Devmapall@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      1 个月前

      The bug thing seriously worries me

      I remember so many more bugs as a child. I haven’t needed mosquito spray in quite a while even while hiking

  • salacious_coaster@infosec.pubEnglish
    0·
    1 个月前

    We used to take for granted that everybody agreed Nazis and Russians were bad.

    Nothing against Russians suffering under Putin’s boot. We have a whole new sympathy for you now.

    • ramble81@lemm.ee
      0·
      1 个月前

      And it’s not that hard either. I’m out with a new group of people and just ask “do you drink?” If I get a “no” we know not to push it and just continue on like normal. They still join in with all the conversation, we keep discussions around favorite drinks, alcohol, etc light to none and no one is offended or bothered.

    • Zachariah@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 个月前

      Sometimes I forget that smoking is a thing, and then (after sometimes a whole year) I see someone doing it, and I’m like, “woah, people still smoke.” It was everywhere when I was a kid—even inside restaurants.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
        0·
        1 个月前

        It always surprises me that pot smoking is now worse. Don’t get me wrong: go ahead with your vice. But the world used to smell like an ash tray and now it smells like skunk. Realistically the world doesn’t stink as much, which is excellent, but that means pot smokers really stand out as annoying stink

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      0·
      1 个月前

      I’d go further than that. I remember smoking being pretty common everywhere in the 1980s, and cigarette butts being common anywhere outdoors in a public setting.

      I rarely see anyone smoking anymore, and rarely see a single cigarette butt.

      That being said, where you are in the US is gonna be a factor, and there are some countries that do still see a fair bit of smoking.

    • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      0·
      1 个月前

      In some airport I’ve had transfers in a few times (I want to say Detroit?) they have a smoking lounge that’s just four glass walls hooked up to a filtration system, and it cracks my shit up every single time to see the smoker terrarium.

  • otp@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    1 个月前

    Negative: Worse driving interactions (as a pedestrian/cyclist), especially post-covid.

    Positive: People are generally more accepting of things, and people seem to be more comfortable sharing parts of them that make themselves different from the “norm”.

  • forrgott@lemm.ee
    0·
    1 个月前

    When I was still a kid, we went from bring a plate of cookies to your neighbor and introduce yourself to DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS!!

      • forrgott@lemm.ee
        0·
        1 个月前

        Nobody thinks my country has a history of way too many kidnappings, but America has the market cornered on propaganda.

        I wanna say that mindset has no discernable effect on the number of crimes committed, at least when they reviewed the statistics years later. That’s what I heard anyway.

          • forrgott@lemm.ee
            0·
            1 个月前

            Interesting. I appreciate the link.

            Funny how the US numbers reported are only for a very specific circumstance - possibly taken from conviction rates for such crimes? But anyway, with no data on family/close friend kidnappings, that stat is basically useless isn’t it.

      • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
        0·
        1 个月前

        A very popular show that everyone would watch live as it aired the first time. Then you could talk about it with everyone for a week because everyone is on the same episode. There was little to no ways to watch it if you missed it and you’d basically be screwed.

        • hddsx@lemmy.ca
          0·
          1 个月前

          Oh I wasn’t allowed to watch tele growing up. No wonder I have no idea what this is

      • snooggums@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        1 个月前

        I haven’t heard the term but I assume it means watching TV on the station’s schedule. You know, broadcast and cable.

    • tipicaldik@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 个月前

      haha my dad was a tech nerd and when he bought his first programmable VCR back in the '80s he was on top of the world. He was recording everything…

  • squarebrain@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 个月前

    Cable TV use to be something that teathered us all together in a way. We were all stuck on the same schedule for premiers of new episodes of different shows so we all had a common thing to talk about come the next day. Now I have no idea what’s playing on what service and have just given up on staying up to date on the new shows. I could have access to $TVShow but probably won’t watch it because I don’t like to binge watch so it takes me longer to catch up and by the time I do it has already left the minds of my peers so why bother.

    • snooggums@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 个月前

      I could have access to $TVShow but probably won’t watch it because I don’t like to binge watch so it takes me longer to catch up and by the time I do it has already left the minds of my peers so why bother.

      I enjoy not having my entertainment options constrained by whether other people are watching them at the same time, so I’m loving the change. Especially since I didn’t like over half of the shows that ‘everybody’ watched.

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    1 个月前

    From an American perspective, flying on an airplane sucks. 9/11/01 resulted in a whole bunch of security theatre at the airport and airlines have slowly whittled away whatever comfort or convience remained.

    • Kaboom@reddthat.com
      0·
      1 个月前

      Why specify the year? Everyone knows what 9/11 is, it’s not going to get confused with another 9/11.

      • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
        0·
        1 个月前

        Because over time people will forget the year. Like many hear July 4th and couldn’t tell you it is for 1776. People get lazy, and knowing the year gives a nice reference for time and how it has gone by.

    • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 个月前

      You used to get proper meals even if it was a crazy short flight. Now it’s like $6 bag of cheese it.

    • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      0·
      1 个月前

      Remember being able to walk people to their gate, hug them goodbye, and watch the plane leave? Now you can only do this if you’re taking an unaccompanied minor to their gate.

    • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
      English
      0·
      1 个月前

      i got fed up enough that i decided i’m never flying again. if i can’t get there in time by driving, so sorry, i won’t be able to attend

      • rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works
        0·
        1 个月前

        I’m close. I only fly to see family and drive everywhere else. If I can’t complete the vacation without driving I’m just not doing it.

        It’s weird because flights are cheaper but then I don’t have a vehicle where I land and most of the places I want to go I need a vehicle. I’m not much of a city boy.

      • rImITywR@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        1 个月前

        Domestic flights should basically not be a thing. Trains should be the default option if you don’t have to cross an ocean.

          • rImITywR@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            1 个月前

            With the current level of train infrastructure and service, I agree with you. That is why domestics flights are a thing. But trains would be a much better choice if rail wasn’t actively defunded and sabotaged for the last 70 years or so.

            Its this lack of imagination of what could be (and already exists around the world) that makes everyone laugh at Americans.

            • Lowpast@lemmy.world
              0·
              1 个月前

              Even with high speed rail you’re looking at 30+ hours from Seattle to NYC. And that’s optimistic, ignoring the numerous alpine mountains. No thanks.

              • AA5B@lemmy.world
                0·
                1 个月前

                Why do people always go here?

                • Fine: coast to coast, north to south should have flights. However almost all domestic flights are shorter and most of those are between city pairs where rail could be more efficient.
                • Fine: keep your bush pilots and feeder airlines, but 80% of the population is in metro areas.
                • high speed rail advocates generally speak in terms of population density and distance for choosing the right option: generally city pairs less than 500 miles apart can be more efficiently served by rail. That’s most cities in the US, and metro areas are 80% the population

                We don’t need to argue about it not being absolute,if you can recognized the predominant needs

          • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
            0·
            1 个月前

            I would gladly take the Texas Eagle to Chicago on a regular basis to see family if it didn’t cost $1,800 for a very small room in the sleeper car. I prefer the train to flying or driving. It’s just a LOT cheaper to load up the minivan and drive 12 hours instead.

  • naught101@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 个月前
    • People are way more free to talk about their mental health problems.
    • Climate change is part of mainstream awareness, most people want to see action on it.
    • Gays and lesbians are very broadly accepted in many parts of the world. Trans people are too (and they are more visible), even if there is also a culture war backlash.
    • Nearly everyone hates capitalism. Not everyone has figured out what needs to be done about it, but it’s a good start.
    • Conspiracy thinking is more rampant, presumably because of internet (mis/dis)information bubbles

    (I was born in the early 80s, so this is over the last 30ish years, since the mid 90s)