In this world, there is an unseen adversary. An inhuman intelligence, it has no physical form, but pervades all around us. Its presence creeps like some eldritch imp - a lurking predator always watching, poised with greased digits when we least expect; in our slumber, in our diversions. A clean, feline mind— it frolics in games unending. Indeed,
For writers (or artists for that matter) I strongly urge them to ignore anyone telling them what or how to do their thing. I myself worked in an industry where you had “production” and “talent.” Production people were hired to copy or mimic the ideas already developed by Talent. Talent has to come up with the content and form. Creators of original form and content get paid more too for obvious reasons and have permission to make mistakes. Too many and you lose the client. But that’s the way it works. I’d say writers like Schwab are clearly in the Talent category and should feed the god inside themselves first and foremost and let the chips fall where they may.
Sometimes I like to give a thoughtful reply, something formulated off a careful digestion of the articles content. But this one just has me worried. Of all the talk of giants, efforts to manipulate history, ancient genetic memory of cataclysm... this one feels the most pressing. Maybe it's because i'm a Zoomer, and I know a good chunk of my acquaintances, if not all of them, would be pulled into something like this wholelcoth.
Hell, even my /dad/ plays Pokemon Go. It's a worrying sight, a grown man hunched over his phone catching Pikachus. The practically applied nightmares are always the worst, man.
I object! I put aside every minute needed to read your posts. Even if it means doing so on my employers time dammit. I look forward to each and every revelation you write with anxiety ridden apprehension but a full belief I need to know. Thanks for the truth bombs and for doing it with wit and eloquence.
Well this crystallizes the feeling of disquiet I’ve had with the rise in popularity of the “long-form analysis/retrospective” and “history of (X game series)” genres on YouTube the last cpl of years. These kids are expending tremendous amounts of time and energy on examining these games and their history in the minutest detail and in so doing, are cementing the fact that a virtual history is much more important to them than actual history.
Lacking a more suitable way of contacting you, I will use this comments section. I would love to read what your research and synthesis power can do on the topic of Consciousness and Experience creation. CIA was allegedly abducting Mexican scientist Jacobo Grinberg Zylberbaum who deeply understood how reality was configured and how our experience was created. There are several serious-frivolous insights about the topic and I would say that it is, in the end, the pinnacle of all events and the best way to deal with our era and its threats. Also, a topic that matches your interests in the manipulation of reality is conducted by hidden powers these days. Thank you for reading.
IMHO, I would rather go for spotting content types that differentiate the thesis from the numerous pieces of evidence you provide. You are generously supporting your statements with abundant and detailed research and disclosure of the facts. Sometimes, it is not easy for me to follow your argument. Though this is absolutely subjective, my English is clearly below the level of your writing. At the same time, I'm delighted to extend my thesaurus while I can spot some of the latin/classic terms you are using.
Phenomenal piece, no issue with the length. Used text to speech in-app, and re-read any turns of phrase it couldn't grasp. Speaking of, any chance of revealing the etymology / explaining some of the colourful phrases such as "clown-ops", for example; very curious about their definitions in relation to the context you use them in! Appreciate all your work!
“excessive screen exposure during critical periods of development in Generation Z will lead to mild cognitive impairments in early to middle adulthood resulting in substantially increased rates of early onset dementia in later adulthood. We predict that from 2060 to 2100, the rates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) will increase significantly, far above the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) projected estimates of a two-fold increase, to upwards of a four-to-six-fold increase”
First, thank you for this research. I can't tell you how meaningful it is to me right now. I've taught my son from the youngest age about what is going on in this world, and I've tried to explain about the very things you talk about in this post. I don't think he plays any of these games, specifically, but we've had some issues of late that I suspect are related to TOO MUCH TIME spent in the game world in general.
Second, I echo Brendan Eich's comment. You must do what you think is best for your audience, but cheese louise, the excuse that your posts are too long is shocking to me. I simply will not believe that someone who complains about length is that busy. I've seen this complaint in many other places and it is a new phenomenon, and I believe it's directly related to the short, choppy bits of Twitter or other social media. People by and large do not read actual books and now they think they're incapable of reading posts like this.
Ok, so I pasted this article into a word counter. There are 4,941 words, it's at a college graduate reading level, and the reading time is 17 minutes 58 seconds. Seriously people. Who T.H. does not have (round up) 18 minutes to read?? 🙄
This is far more insightful than anything I can read on a newsstand. It is unsettling and I am left wanting to know if there is any way to act to stop this?
And if so, can I clearly define what I am stopping it for?
And if not, is there some way to live alongside it and ride it out and hope for a new tide to turn
Excellent piece as usual. I am almost caught up on all of your work. While I could say a lot, I will instead point to this quote from you:
"Gamification” is nothing more than an ordering device, altering real-world behavior according to a set of pre-determined rules rather than laws inherent to life itself."
This reminds me of a hi-tech version of what Chomsky said...
"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum....”
Set the parameters for the mass man of permissible thought and action, rewarding him like Skinner, Pavlov and Thorndike.. because after all, to them we are all mere animals.
Reality Ends Here
Long form is better for your writing. People should read faster or make time.
For writers (or artists for that matter) I strongly urge them to ignore anyone telling them what or how to do their thing. I myself worked in an industry where you had “production” and “talent.” Production people were hired to copy or mimic the ideas already developed by Talent. Talent has to come up with the content and form. Creators of original form and content get paid more too for obvious reasons and have permission to make mistakes. Too many and you lose the client. But that’s the way it works. I’d say writers like Schwab are clearly in the Talent category and should feed the god inside themselves first and foremost and let the chips fall where they may.
Sometimes I like to give a thoughtful reply, something formulated off a careful digestion of the articles content. But this one just has me worried. Of all the talk of giants, efforts to manipulate history, ancient genetic memory of cataclysm... this one feels the most pressing. Maybe it's because i'm a Zoomer, and I know a good chunk of my acquaintances, if not all of them, would be pulled into something like this wholelcoth.
Hell, even my /dad/ plays Pokemon Go. It's a worrying sight, a grown man hunched over his phone catching Pikachus. The practically applied nightmares are always the worst, man.
I object! I put aside every minute needed to read your posts. Even if it means doing so on my employers time dammit. I look forward to each and every revelation you write with anxiety ridden apprehension but a full belief I need to know. Thanks for the truth bombs and for doing it with wit and eloquence.
Well this crystallizes the feeling of disquiet I’ve had with the rise in popularity of the “long-form analysis/retrospective” and “history of (X game series)” genres on YouTube the last cpl of years. These kids are expending tremendous amounts of time and energy on examining these games and their history in the minutest detail and in so doing, are cementing the fact that a virtual history is much more important to them than actual history.
The longer the better!
Lacking a more suitable way of contacting you, I will use this comments section. I would love to read what your research and synthesis power can do on the topic of Consciousness and Experience creation. CIA was allegedly abducting Mexican scientist Jacobo Grinberg Zylberbaum who deeply understood how reality was configured and how our experience was created. There are several serious-frivolous insights about the topic and I would say that it is, in the end, the pinnacle of all events and the best way to deal with our era and its threats. Also, a topic that matches your interests in the manipulation of reality is conducted by hidden powers these days. Thank you for reading.
IMHO, I would rather go for spotting content types that differentiate the thesis from the numerous pieces of evidence you provide. You are generously supporting your statements with abundant and detailed research and disclosure of the facts. Sometimes, it is not easy for me to follow your argument. Though this is absolutely subjective, my English is clearly below the level of your writing. At the same time, I'm delighted to extend my thesaurus while I can spot some of the latin/classic terms you are using.
It is a pleasure reading you.
Thank you.
Phenomenal piece, no issue with the length. Used text to speech in-app, and re-read any turns of phrase it couldn't grasp. Speaking of, any chance of revealing the etymology / explaining some of the colourful phrases such as "clown-ops", for example; very curious about their definitions in relation to the context you use them in! Appreciate all your work!
“excessive screen exposure during critical periods of development in Generation Z will lead to mild cognitive impairments in early to middle adulthood resulting in substantially increased rates of early onset dementia in later adulthood. We predict that from 2060 to 2100, the rates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) will increase significantly, far above the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) projected estimates of a two-fold increase, to upwards of a four-to-six-fold increase”
fun times.
First, thank you for this research. I can't tell you how meaningful it is to me right now. I've taught my son from the youngest age about what is going on in this world, and I've tried to explain about the very things you talk about in this post. I don't think he plays any of these games, specifically, but we've had some issues of late that I suspect are related to TOO MUCH TIME spent in the game world in general.
Second, I echo Brendan Eich's comment. You must do what you think is best for your audience, but cheese louise, the excuse that your posts are too long is shocking to me. I simply will not believe that someone who complains about length is that busy. I've seen this complaint in many other places and it is a new phenomenon, and I believe it's directly related to the short, choppy bits of Twitter or other social media. People by and large do not read actual books and now they think they're incapable of reading posts like this.
Ok, so I pasted this article into a word counter. There are 4,941 words, it's at a college graduate reading level, and the reading time is 17 minutes 58 seconds. Seriously people. Who T.H. does not have (round up) 18 minutes to read?? 🙄
I have no problem with your article length. If I can't finish in one reading I always go back later. You should focus on the best way to write.
This is far more insightful than anything I can read on a newsstand. It is unsettling and I am left wanting to know if there is any way to act to stop this?
And if so, can I clearly define what I am stopping it for?
And if not, is there some way to live alongside it and ride it out and hope for a new tide to turn
Excellent piece as usual. I am almost caught up on all of your work. While I could say a lot, I will instead point to this quote from you:
"Gamification” is nothing more than an ordering device, altering real-world behavior according to a set of pre-determined rules rather than laws inherent to life itself."
This reminds me of a hi-tech version of what Chomsky said...
"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum....”
Set the parameters for the mass man of permissible thought and action, rewarding him like Skinner, Pavlov and Thorndike.. because after all, to them we are all mere animals.
This is an amazing article. Sent shivers down my spine.