Will Self questions the rituals of our digital life

[thegarbeen]

The internet, a place where a small corner, of its self, is being unravelled in a interesting expose' of its own underlying dangers, in regards to its uneasy relationship with the human psyche. And what do people worry about ? Bloody camera angles, and people using words they consider to long.

[IThinkImAloneNow]

He's just pissed off he never completed Manic Minor on the Spectrum.

[cp1492]

Excellent and truthful explanation of the effects of the internet

[rigs345]

He's brilliant, could listen to Will Self all day

[rundle19938]

Very interesting indeed. Although I confess I find Will Self's level of intellect and vocabulary sometimes hard to follow.

[domzbu]

The only way to listen to this video is without watching the visuals, the silly and highly distracting zooming in and out and all about, and constant changing of shot, which are just too much and make one nauseous.

[domzbu]

The only way to listen to this video is without watching the visuals, the silly and highly distracting zooming in and out and all about, and constant changing of shot, which are just too much and make one nauseous.

[MrDarkbloom]

Anybody who has a decent vocabulary and doesn't talk like a street-sweeper from Liverpool is seen to be somehow elitist. I hate this kind of mentality... yeah, let's bring the smart people down to our level! Bullshit. And one might argue, its a form of jealousy.

[1978deus]

@MrDarkbloom I agree but at the same time, there are people who use long words when it's not necessary and alienate people in the process. Will is guilty of this at times.

[MrDarkbloom]

@1978deus Will Self often appears arrogant, but (1) I don't see it here and (2) I like his edginess and spikiness! Why the fuck does everybody have to be a 'nice guy'?

[todayinlondon]

This man talks absolute drivel.

[Useless2112]

Those captions are fucking annoying.

[jamesaellis]

Pompous yet very true!

[palkom13]

@jamesaellis how is it pompous to be able to express yourself articulately?

[gaiasun]

This is a man who likes to hear himself talk. Not all posh.. but such a dark, dark view of humanity. Basing it all on sex and violence? That's a big stretch... I have found tremendous light, joy and creativity... I have been inspired, learned about myself and my world and gained exceptional insight though my use of the internet. Which has helped me go out into the world and interact with others from a higher vantage point than ever before.

[ConradSly]

@gaiasun The internet can be used for a lot of good things, but what Will and another are interested in is the entire picture of how we might be affected by a social apparatus that has no social policing. This isn't a dark view of humanity, just a look a what the internet is and how it is shaping us socially, in good ways and in bad ways.

[gaiasun]

@ConradSly This isn't a dark view of humanity? Are you kidding me? Did we watch the same video? I see that it's a look at what the internet is and how it is shaping us socially - but only in the bad ways. He droans endlessly on - rarely if ever stopping for breath. I don't discount the validity of a few points he makes - but he generalizes them far too much - neglecting the ways that the internet inspires others to interact in their communities and with each other out in the real world.

[gaiasun]

@ConradSly it's as if he's taken a few good points - which he does have, a few good points - and spun them into a ridiculous web of half truths and bizarre over exaggerations simply for the excuse to go on a tangent rant. He over-analyzes and is over-intellectualizing a very natural process. Human beings are social animals. The web - and social networking would not be what it is if it weren't intrinsic in our natures to interact in this way, ultimately inspiring and facilitating human contact.

[ConradSly]

@gaiasun All I meant was that what he's talking about here is dark, but only specifically towards some of the inherent structural barriers that internet operates within, on a social level. The conversations taking place in these comments are exactly what Will is talking about. I could say any number of slanderous things here and there would be virtually no social repercussions to sustain. That's not a dark view of humanity overall, merely a dark view of the internet's structural issues.

[ConradSly]

@gaiasun I dont see the point of thinking about what he's saying here as "half truths." If you can show me "truth" anywhere, I'd be much obliged. Obviously everything he's saying is speculative, but I agree we're social animals, and he's fulfilling that intrinsic nature by sharing what he's got on his mind. Perhaps he's guilty of over-intellectualizing a natural process, but that assessment is entirely subjective.

[ConradSly]

@gaiasun In the end, for me, the video sheds some light on wanting to fulfill the desire to instill a level of humanity in web-based social exchange that would correspond with the social responsibility required in the physical world. I'm just not sure you could call the veiled anonymity inherent in web-based social exchange part of our intrinsic nature.

[DarthFurie]

What powerful philosophical thought!

[eddbagenal]

This is healthy constructive criticism- not damning, or evangelist as seems to be the polarity that most subjects induce in the punditry-saturated media of this decade. A genuine attempt to unpick a tightening knot. Thanks ENO

[djrinpoche]

Not only do I agree with most of his opinions and conjecture but judging by the comments I think that it hits some nerves.

[wearevivo]

PS - If context is important to this talk's interpretation then someone from ENO should post what that context is.

[wearevivo]

What planet does he live on?His talk concerned itself with the wicked side of human nature, and its weaknesses, but failed to comment on the cooperative, collaborative and self-regulating nature of various communities constituted by willing, thinking, caring 'cofreres'. I have used the internet since 1999 and my experience is NOT represented by Will Self.

I think one phrase from his talk can be used to represent his narrow mindedness: see 5 mins 30 seconds... Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans - ha!

[MeansDarling]

The camera work in this is really distracting. I think this guy makes some good points, and I also found this talk to be disgusting to watch. Very negative.

[excalibran]

So he's worried that we will inadvertently train ourselves to be little egoists? Valid, but doesn't take the existence of Anonymous into account. I would call that a sort of collective imagining.

[youtoodarrell]

cont'd -> do everything through it. But that's just not healthy, and as a parent you have to educate your kid. You're trying to tell me that the internet is responsible for the corruption of moral values in the new generation? I'll tell you one thing, if you let the internet raise your kid, he's going to be one messed up person. There is a lot of shit in the internet, you need some basic judgement. You can't let kids absorb everything in here..... I should just have typed this last thing.

[youtoodarrell]

Jesus man... I had to pause the video frequently to understand what he was saying. Not ESL friendly at all. Anyway, there is a lot of freedom in the internet. Yes, it's worrying because it's so accessible and your kids can watch porn and violence. But there are way more benefits, too many to list here. As someone who grew up using the internet, I see it as a tool, not an environment. It can be either, in the sense that you can "live" in the web, socialize through it.. wait it's not gonna fit

[joncoe0]

Well put, and he does give some substance to his argument. However, let's be clear, this is another old man "worrying" that another new form of media and technology is going to in some rather vague way corrupt or damage the youth (as, to his credit, he himself acknowledges). We've been here before.

[MikeBlackney]

I imagine it would be nearly impossible to find a more incoherent or pretentious video on YouTube.

[Volterator]

@MikeBlackney Pretentious I'll give you, but if it's incoherent why did I follow every line of reasoning he laid out? I think what you meant to say was "Cor, I think that Will Self is a twat."

[danwatson1974]

@Volterator No, I think that what he meant to say was 'Cor, I think that the director of this piece is a twat'

I am inclined to agree when the fundamental aim of a talking head VT should be to allow the watcher to focus on the subject matter , not be distracted from it with pointless panning, zooming and changes of format.