Seems reasonable. Love's me some news aggregating and posting, but have plenty of biz and social acivity outside of online shenanigans.

Considering I've met most of my friends, and my girlfriend whom I live with now online, I'd agree.

I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

A new study says internet use is not linked to isolation. Subby posted this from his mother's basement a few days shy of his 40th birthday

But was delayed because Cheetos dust slowed down teh internets?

Ouch subby.

/I suspect Fark is a still-living-with-mom internet hot spot

archonwarp: I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

pretty much what I came here to say. maybe the internet will turn out to help people with social anxiety. or it could make it worse. who knows? probably depends on the individual.

Have to agree - can't say that the internet has caused me any real isolation. Because of the internet I was able to work at home for my last job and by the end of the day I was more than ready to get out in the real world and be around people.

It's great for news, games with my morning coffee and communicating w/my friends as to what we'll do out and about in person.

It is also a spectacular device for housework avoidance.

Well let me be the first to say Happy Birthday Subby!

maxpower007: pretty much what I came here to say. maybe the internet will turn out to help people with social anxiety. or it could make it worse. who knows? probably depends on the individual.

People that can string together a semi-coherent fark rant are probably in the top 5% of the population, intelligence wise. Every time I go among people in real life, I'm floored by how farking stupid and shallow most of them are. Then I get to feeling stabby, and have to return to my hermitage.

Social anxiety? Hell yeah. I'm anxious I'm gonna snap and mutilate some poor lackwit.

archonwarp: I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

Absolutely accurate, I would say.

make me some tea: Considering I've met most of my friends, and my girlfriend whom I live with now online, I'd agree.

THIS. I've also networked and found employment using "the intertubes"

The internet will show me boobs on command doesn't care if I'm wearing pants.

/I love you internet

archonwarp: I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

Check me out everybody! I'm dancin'! I'm dancin'!

FTA: The 2008 survey of 2,512 adults did find that Americans' core discussion networks -- that group of people you count on being able to confide in -- has gotten smaller in the past two decades. It's down, on average, to about two people instead of three. They've also become less diverse because they contain fewer friends and more family members.

If having less people to confide in isn't social isolation, then what the fark are you people studying?

Oh right, this is the kind of research where you don't "study" the data and simply apply whatever invalid definition you've staked your academic reputation on to survey methods and ride the gravy train of whatever media controversy your idiocy has stirred up.

I have friends. Well, the Superfriends.

Con Fabulous: Pew is not known for being hacks. They are pretty much the gold standard in Internet Research.

make me some tea: Considering I've met most of my friends, and my girlfriend whom I live with now online, I'd agree.

Have you considered living with her in real life, too?

Cytokine Storm: The internet will show me boobs on command doesn't care if I'm wearing pants.

That applies to my wife, too.

/No, she'll just show them to me. Not you.
//Probably.
///Met my wife online.

oflinkey: Con Fabulous: Pew is not known for being hacks. They are pretty much the gold standard in Internet Research.

I'm not saying that the survey results are wrong.

The advantage of socializing on the Internet is the added depression of hearing about all the IRL events you're not going to.

When you say "you and the guys", you mean the internet, don't you?

/obscure?
//met my boyfriend, most of my friends, and got my job from the tubes

I met my boyfriend online. He's awesome and I'd never have met him without the Internet since he lives thousands of miles away in a different country. I've made a lot of friends online in chat rooms and MMOs. The Internet is great for news, information and craziness. It does make it harder to deal with people in RL because they seem so stupid and small-minded. I mean, really, who doesn't know what a Cleveland Steamer is by now?

*depressed*

hits 40 on Tuesday....but not in basement (anymore)

AmazingRuss: People that can string together a semi-coherent fark rant are probably in the top 5% of the population, intelligence wise. Every time I go among people in real life, I'm floored by how farking stupid and shallow most of them are. Then I get to feeling stabby, and have to return to my hermitage.

That sums it up. If you want to hear people going on and on about Glee, the Yankees, or so-and-so's trainwreck of a life, then you talk to people in meatspace. If you want to hear about politics, science, or something nerdy, then you go to the interwebs.

/if you want to lose faith in humanity, you play WoW

bravian: When you say "you and the guys", you mean the internet, don't you?

/obscure?
//met my boyfriend, most of my friends, and got my job from the tubes

Is that from The Big Bang Theory?

PappaSon: *depressed*

hits 40 on Tuesday....but not in basement (anymore)

yep. us attic-dwellers are so superior.

Duck_of_Doom: AmazingRuss: People that can string together a semi-coherent fark rant are probably in the top 5% of the population, intelligence wise. Every time I go among people in real life, I'm floored by how farking stupid and shallow most of them are. Then I get to feeling stabby, and have to return to my hermitage.

That sums it up. If you want to hear people going on and on about Glee, the Yankees, or so-and-so's trainwreck of a life, then you talk to people in meatspace. If you want to hear about politics, science, or something nerdy, then you go to the interwebs.

/if you want to lose faith in humanity, you play WoW

Actually when I played WoW on a free server, the people were shockingly nice. They'd go out of their way to help you or give you stuff. I can only wonder what it's like in real WoW because I'm not paying that much for a game.

jack21221: bravian: When you say "you and the guys", you mean the internet, don't you?

/obscure?
//met my boyfriend, most of my friends, and got my job from the tubes

Is that from The Big Bang Theory?

Doctor Who - Blink

jessicat: Actually when I played WoW on a free server, the people were shockingly nice. They'd go out of their way to help you or give you stuff. I can only wonder what it's like in real WoW because I'm not paying that much for a game.

sexism, homophobia, complete stupidity ... that makes up WoW

/and yet I still play

archonwarp: I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

Ouch, I've never been so aptly described in two sentences.

/I'm going to go sob, or fap.

Mike_LowELL: archonwarp: I'd say it's more an issue of isolated people having an attraction to the internet. It really makes it easy for those suffering from social anxiety disorders to get just the right amount of interaction and stimulation while remaining a sense of control over the situation.

Check me out everybody! I'm dancin'! I'm dancin'!

I think I lost the beat but... (new window)

I think I would still manage to be isolated quite well without the internet, thank you very much.

PappaSon: *depressed*

hits 40 on Tuesday....but not in basement (anymore)

You aren't alone in depression. I will hit 38 on Thursday and I have no friends. Unless you consider Zoloft a friend. I'm not in a basement though!

Actually when I played WoW on a free server, the people were shockingly nice. They'd go out of their way to help you or give you stuff. I can only wonder what it's like in real WoW because I'm not paying that much for a game.

In my experience, this was about the first two years of the game for me, real nice peeps, then they just seemed to dwindle away for the most part. Rarely any ware else now will you find such elitist assholes now, people now wanting to only show off (well a whole LOT of them now)

I had to move to the middle of nowhere a couple of months ago (stupid economic crisis is stupid). There is nothing interesting to do here, no museums, no theater, no decent pubs, no live music. No nothing.

I can't say people are dull or lame here but I haven't managed to meet anybody with even remotely similar interests to those of mine. I tried meeting new people at the beginning but it just didn't work.

I remember mentioning to someone I'd been reading Ian M. Banks Culture Series. All I got was a blank stare. No harm, no foul. I mean, it's not that mainstream a writer we are talking about. Then they ask about it and I tried explaining the man-machine interaction Bank describes. More blank stares.

Another time I told someone else I'd just heard from this La Roux duo and that I'd like to see them live. Blank stare. Had my comp near by so I show them. More blank stares.

Like I said, I can hardly call them dull (different people, different strokes) I just havent met anybody that I have anything in common with so far.

It got so bad that if it wasn't for the intertubes I would've jumped off of a bridge weeks ago.

About the only positive thing is that I am able to do most of my work distance so I don't have to interact with people more than absolutely necessary.

/working and saving $$ so I can move again

Duck_of_Doom: AmazingRuss: People that can string together a semi-coherent fark rant are probably in the top 5% of the population, intelligence wise. Every time I go among people in real life, I'm floored by how farking stupid and shallow most of them are. Then I get to feeling stabby, and have to return to my hermitage.

That sums it up. If you want to hear people going on and on about Glee, the Yankees, or so-and-so's trainwreck of a life, then you talk to people in meatspace. If you want to hear about politics, science, or something nerdy, then you go to the interwebs.

/if you want to lose faith in humanity, you play WoW

But when you discuss interesting things on the internet, you don't have a person to look at, and it ends up feeling like you're talking to yourself, which sucks.

/I hate working in a kitchen, with people who can't even speak english much less be interested in cool shiat.
//God damn it degree, I thought you were suppose to be good for shiat.

I forgot to add that I've actually started talking to myself, but it still sucks.

Mrstupid7: I forgot to add that I've actually started talking to myself, but it still sucks.

I've made a conscious decision not to talk to myself. I don't want to hear anything that asshole has to say.