1y ago

What has been the biggest surprise about getting older?

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How much disdain I have for change (“they are just making it worse!”) aka grumpy old man syndrome
- If it was around before you were born, it's perfectly natural.
  If it was invented when you were younger than 10, it's new, cool, and exciting.
  Invented between ages 10 and 25? Innovative.
  Between 25 and 40? Silly to replace something that was working fine.
  Over 40? The work of the Devil!!
- Many things are really just getting worse, though.
  I'm in my 20s, I love new stuff, and am excited for new technologies...
  But the stuff that existed for the last 5-10 years? Yeah, they're just getting objectively worse. From social media, to Google, to basically almost anything that private companies control.
  Not everything is getting worse, but enough are that it may be difficult to discern at times.
  
  Enshittification is real and driven by profits. We're out of the "wild west" phase of the internet, companies are now trying to capitalize every last square inch of it.
  
  Omg its just settler colonialism but on a pixelated screen. 🤯
- I used to be with it, then they changed what it was. It'll happen to you.
- I work in IT. I tell everyone once I retire all the electronics are gone and I'll be on my front porch shaking my fist at the clouds.
- Am I so out of touch?
- Honestly, this one sometimes surprises me too.
  Like, I'm okay with it... I've accepted being the grumpy old man but it still surprises me how often it feels like my default state the older I get.

174 comments