We live in a world where...

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

stupidity sells. I used to hear one sentence a lot, sex sells, I think that's not the case anymore.

 

Since the year is coming to an end Youtube is filled with long videos with fails and much more. Sure who of us hasn't done something stupid in our lives at one point or another but looking at some of those videos I can't do much more than scratch my head or to think "how stupid to you have to be..."

 

Fails, sure but the people filming it and actually laughing their ass off instead of checking if their "friend" is fine - sorry but I don't actually find that very "smart". Sure, me and my friends have had such situations as well but firstly we checked if we were fine and then laughed about it together.

 

Times change, people change but imho for the worse each year.

 

Any thoughts on this? Or maybe I'm just too critical about it?

[zhangm Supervisor]

Stupidity has long been a basis for humor. We now supply the tools so that people can easily record and advertise such things, getting other people to comment or copy. I'm not convinced that you're being too critical of the behavior itself, but I'm also not convinced that this sort of thing is new rather than more accessible.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Sure it's not something new. Like I said, we've all done something stupid at one point but instead of laughing our ass off at someone who "fails" at least over here we checked first if they were fine and then all laughed. But half of the videos you see now is just the "camera guy" rolling on the floor while someone, say, breaks their neck.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

I agree that stupidity sells and there's a certain glorification of ignorance going on there.

 

Dumb people are easier to govern.

[Stealthy_Singh]

 

 

Times change, people change but imho for the worse each year.

 

 

 

I agree with your statement about the amount of stupidity on you tube. But I feel that it shows a change that if it is the real cause behind the amount of these videos is an even bigger indictment if society. People like this have always been around and in the kind of numbers we see on you tube. They just have an outlet show the stupidity and nastiness that reaches much further now.

[He's Dead Jim]

I agree that stupidity sells and there's a certain glorification of ignorance going on there.

 

Dumb people are easier to govern.

And sell stuff to....

[He's Dead Jim]

The youtube fails popularity contests just proves that we like to laugh at ourselves, and simple humour is the most effective,

 

in saying that, I hate sk8 vids where some kid gets an obvious broken limb...

[Brian M. Veteran]

"If you fall over, a friend will pick you up. A best friend will pick you up, once they've finished laughing."

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

^

 

This is exactly the mentality I can not understand.

 

Guess it's some new age parenting techniques huh? I started hearing that a couple of years ago so I have no idea how long it goes back tho.

[MikeChipshop Member]

People are different. A lot of people enjoy messing around, filming fails and having a good laugh with their mates about it.

 

What you've got to remember is it's still a tiny, tiny percentage of the population of the world who are doing this. So just relax and get n with your life.

[MikeChipshop Member]

"If you fall over, a friend will pick you up. A best friend will pick you up, once they've finished laughing."

 

Brilliant quote, and spot on!

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

People are different. A lot of people enjoy messing around, filming fails and having a good laugh with their mates about it.

 

What you've got to remember is it's still a tiny, tiny percentage of the population of the world who are doing this. So just relax and get n with your life.

 

Oh, I am relaxed. Couple of beers in and just thought I'll lay some of my thoughts here. ;)

 

We just have different opinions on this I guess, nothing else.

[cork1958]

Stupidity has run a muck in the USA, and getting worse by the day!

 

I mean, just look at this story on the front page. It was right under the link to this topic.

 

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1194309-man-caught-humping-shop-window/#entry596184597

 

 

We all know you can't fix stupidity, so we're in serious trouble!

[MikeChipshop Member]

Oh, I am relaxed. Couple of beers in and just thought I'll lay some of my thoughts here. ;)

 

We just have different opinions on this I guess, nothing else.

 

Ah yeah, the 'Relax' wasn't aimed at you (in case you thought it was) it was aimed more at the human race if you get what i mean?

 

Also, yep, we have different opinions and i wouldn;t have it any other way, that's the true basis of humanity :)

 

Stupidity has run a muck in the USA, world and getting worse by the day!

 

Corrected that for you. Not sure why you'd single out the US.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

I'd say the same, it's nowhere near just the US.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

People are different. A lot of people enjoy messing around, filming fails and having a good laugh with their mates about it.

 

What you've got to remember is it's still a tiny, tiny percentage of the population of the world who are doing this. So just relax and get n with your life.

 

I agree with you in general, however, in principle, according to the basic laws of human stupidity proposed by an Italian economist Carlo M. Cipolla, stupid people are the most dangerous because 1) it's impossible to rationalize with them (as opposed to bandits whose motivations are known and can be understood), 2) because they can harm you without any reasons, at the worst possible time, and without any gain to themselves, and 3) there's no upper limit to human stupidity.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

I agree with you in general, however, in principle, according to the basic laws of human stupidity proposed by an Italian economist Carlo M. Cipolla, stupid people are the most dangerous because 1) it's impossible to rationalize with them (as opposed to bandits whose motivations are known and can be understood), 2) because they can harm you without any reasons, at the worst possible time, and without any gain to themselves, and 3) there's no upper limit to human stupidity.

 

Speaking of which, there are a couple of videos where some smart ass tries to show off with his new car and injuries other people while doing that or destroys other people's property. There's no excuse for that, none what so ever. Same goes for drunk driving - all of which goes under stupidity. 

[+DoctorD Subscriber²]

Oddly enough a few of my long time friends and I just had a discussion about this last month. The debate was how dumbed down the younger generation has became as a whole do to crappy parenting, technology, or just being told that everyone is the same and there are no losers.

[jakem1]

Stupidity has run a muck amok in the USA, and getting worse by the day!

 

 

Incorrect spelling is a big problem too :p

[He's Dead Jim]

The thing is, our intellectual capacity should be increasing by generation, not decreasing, are we, not educating our kids as well as our parents educated us, is it the schools, the gov, the corps, the north koreans, Is it affecting us as individuals, Can we do anything as individuals, we are both divided and ruled, Should we bother to educate those who willl care for us when we're old...

We pass it on to the next generation,

[firey]

I wouldn't consider myself stupid.. but ever since I was like 15 (10 years or so) I've watched fail videos, pranks, etc.  I used to love watching Pranked on MTV and still like to watch Ridiculousness on MTV.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

I see where you're coming from, but you can't help what you find funny. 

 

My friend a few years ago swung off a branch up a tree about 2 metres up in the air on a rope swing that we had built ourselves (yeah yeah, you know what's coming...) and the seat just unravelled from the rope at the bottom and he fell ass first onto the floor (it was like he'd just jumped ass first off the branch without a swing at all). He was in agony and actually got up, held his ass with both hands and ran forward before collapsing in a heap on the floor. 

 

I was concerned for him but at the same time I was laughing my head off at what I'd just witnessed, and was still laughing as I called an ambulance and directed them to where we were. He ended up just having a bruised tailbone. 

 

Laughing at inappropriate times has gotten me in trouble a few times with the mrs but it can't be helped!! 

[IntegralDerivative]

I see where you're coming from, but you can't help what you find funny. 

 

My friend a few years ago swung off a branch up a tree about 2 metres up in the air on a rope swing that we had built ourselves (yeah yeah, you know what's coming...) and the seat just unravelled from the rope at the bottom and he fell ass first onto the floor (it was like he'd just jumped ass first off the branch without a swing at all). He was in agony and actually got up, held his ass with both hands and ran forward before collapsing in a heap on the floor. 

 

I was concerned for him but at the same time I was laughing my head off at what I'd just witnessed, and was still laughing as I called an ambulance and directed them to where we were. He ended up just having a bruised tailbone. 

 

Laughing at inappropriate times has gotten me in trouble a few times with the mrs but it can't be helped!! 

 

Agreed. OP is being too serious about things. He should really learn to have fun  :jump:

[Hardcore Til I Die]

The thing is, our intellectual capacity should be increasing by generation, not decreasing, are we, not educating our kids as well as our parents educated us, is it the schools, the gov, the corps, the north koreans, Is it affecting us as individuals, Can we do anything as individuals, we are both divided and ruled, Should we bother to educate those who willl care for us when we're old...

We pass it on to the next generation,

 

It's the technological era. The importance of learning could be seen as diminished when everything you need to know is a quick web search away. I personally don't think we should put so much reliance on technology. 

[zhangm Supervisor]

I think we've also worn away our attention spans. I die a little inside every time I see someone complain that something is too long to read.