I Just Want a Quiet Life

I'm not sure how to put this.  It's just that everything is too fast these days.

I will use this website as an example (mods, this is not a complaint):

I have stars after my name.  I have some sort of "reputation".  My threads seem to have stars.  I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS MEANS.  I don't want it.  It's all fast and shiny, and I just want to come here and talk to people.

It's not just this site.  I can't watch television these days.  I go to a simple news site (Sydney Morning Herald, etc), and it flashes up videos and pop ups.  I just want to read a bloody news article.  Plain text.  That'd be great.

I can't catch a train without endless announcements, most irrelevant.  Even if I drive, there are huge signs over the road flashing "helpful" information.  A shopping mall?  Don't even think of it.


AAAUUUGGGGHHH!!!

I have similar issues with sensory overload. Modern life is quite tiring and confusing; I can't imagine how the elderly cope (I'm 44 and exhausted by it all). Lately I have tried to sort of let it all flow over me and embrace the chaos but it hasn't really worked out (lol).

Sitting silently in a small, simple space just seems like the most ideal holiday to me. I get lonely though, that is the trouble. A cycle of intentional isolation, loneliness, overload, isolation, loneliness, overload...I can't even really cope with people talking anymore...people talk too much...90% is irrelevant and pointless.

The BBC in the afternoon is okay for telly, no adverts.

I just listen to BBC Radio 4 podcasts...."

I remember, back in around 2000, I heard an anectode on the news.....

"The average ten year old in 2000 has the same amount of knowledge in his or her brain as the average adult in 1910."

I can believe it. Probably worse these days. We are not wired for that.

---

Sarah G, you might like this...

In 2008, my dad got dementia and ended up in the geriatric unit at Nepean Hospital in western Sydney. Nasty place, by and large. There was a gate with a keypad entry to stop them from wandering...

But there was a cool thing....

They had a room that was fitted out as a 1940s living room. An old sofa, a bakelite wireless... Just a lovely thing.

I found that concept interesting, that we have so much more information clogging up our CPUs (aka brains) now so you know what I did? I immediately googled it to find out more. How ironic. Googling 'information overload' to have more information on the subject. Exactly what I need. Turns out there is something called 'infobesity' (lol).

I like the idea of the 1940s room it sounds comforting.

Yeh, I can relate. I think it all started in 2001 after 911 when all the news sites added the "ticker" and now we can't just have a screen, we have a screen AND a ticker. When I am at work I hate to pull up a news article and the video starts playing in the background. NO I want to "read" it.

I like Netflix but they need to come up with a better way of finding what is on there. I have literally spent the entire night just trying to find something.

TheLoadedDog said:

I'm not sure how to put this.  It's just that everything is too fast these days.

I will use this website as an example (mods, this is not a complaint):

I have stars after my name.  I have some sort of "reputation".  My threads seem to have stars.  I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS MEANS.  I don't want it.  It's all fast and shiny, and I just want to come here and talk to people.

It's not just this site.  I can't watch television these days.  I go to a simple news site (Sydney Morning Herald, etc), and it flashes up videos and pop ups.  I just want to read a bloody news article.  Plain text.  That'd be great.

I can't catch a train without endless announcements, most irrelevant.  Even if I drive, there are huge signs over the road flashing "helpful" information.  A shopping mall?  Don't even think of it.


AAAUUUGGGGHHH!!!

Click to expand...

I found the sight  little overwhelming at first, but it's also the only forum I've been on.  You made me laugh though, that I wasn't the only one with one eye on those stars lol  I was quite glad when they stopped shifting and stayed put.  I think their purpose is to reflect activity.  But they do stop eventually ...thankfully.   The "reputation" is also something I'm not fond of,  but I understand that it's a way for people to show a kindness to you I believe... which is okay.  We all need a little kindness.  I had to ask a Mod, but if you click on it you can see the comments.  Being modest, that is something I also would personally like to avoid.  Having said that, I know it comes from a good place and appeals to some .  I prefer to ignore the bells and whistles and just enjoy the forum. 

Hang in there and just keep being you.

At 47, I would not want to be a young person growing up in these times. (I'm sure the generations ahead of me said the same about my generation - especially during the 80s )  It seems that what I find overwhelming, youth see as normal.  I can't imagine not enjoying silence and peace, or maybe not even knowing what that is. Sensory overload seems to be the expected norm.  So...I turn it off.  I understand that walking away from it may not be as easy for some. 

CBC Radio 1 is my "go to" - I'm not quite to podcasts yet but am told I should try them.  No adds at all.