One post-literate society, coming right up.

[mangosteen]

Assignment: So, when you get a chance, read this article, and tell me what makes you cringe first.

Just in case anyone was checking, we are 20 minutes into the future.

Comments

[redcountess]

I think it would have to be the "oh-so-clever" irony of the piece (yes, I think the irony was intentional).

And the size of that family *shudder*

[zeade.livejournal.com]

"Gameboy XP"... because there ain't none such a thing.

But there was plenty that was cringe-worthy. Who needs the scary Matrix future of plugged-in people. We're already there.

[owdbetts.livejournal.com]

You mean there are people in Virginia who've been left without Internet access? How will they check their friends lists...? :)

-roy

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

Not so much cringe as shake my head sadly, a lot.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

I'd say the complete and utter lack of anyone in it suggesting "how about reading a BOOK"?

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

There was that. There was also the kids telling the dad to "shut up". I wouldn't've even THOUGHT of saying that to my parents.

[mangosteen]

Yeah, a bunch of other people on an IRC channel were discussing the article, and noticed that, too. I'm not quite sure what to say about that, besides the fact that there is a generation where increasing numbers of kids don't know how to entertain themselves with non-interactive things.

[ruthi.livejournal.com]

Yes, the complete lack of books, reference to books, and reading was pretty scary - especially the way it does not seem to get noticed at all.
Nobody even reads to the children.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

1) Nine children
2) First advertiser link at the bottom for worldvision.org

[mangosteen]

More to the point: Nine children "because we haven't had ten, yet."

not past the first sentence

[roozle.livejournal.com]

"immaculate mini-mansion". No, given the state of my house right now, just "immaculate".

[exponentialdk.livejournal.com]

"how about reading a BOOK"

A very nice family let me and some other relatives stay in their house for a holiday when we were playing musical-cities. I brought a book with me, but another relative was looking for something to read, and noticed that there were NO BOOKS.

Both parents were professionals. At least one of them was college-educated. They had several children in school. They were clearly very Christian. But we couldn't even find a Bible.

TOTAL culture clash.

And, for the record, the first thing that made me cringe was the use of "no nothing" in the article.

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

The registration. Does it to me every time...
Oh wait. You meant the article! Silly me.
Um, do I have to pick one?

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

I can't believe someone actually went to the trouble to write this piece of dribble actually...

[mangosteen]

How so?

(and I think it's 'drivel', not 'dribble')

[missionista.livejournal.com]

God forbid we should be without electronic entertainment! I mean, who cares about people who might not have access to clean water or a home (as is often the case after a hurricane)? Video games are far more important.

Other things that bothered me: 9 kids, 9 RUDE HORRIBLE kids who are unpleasant to their parents and each other.

Although it generally upsets me that reading a book is not one of the first things that comes to mind for these brats to entertain themselves, nonetheless, I cna almost understand in this context. Hmm, careless kids, paper books, candles everywhere. Can you sense disaster here?

The plan

[infinitehotel.livejournal.com]

As bad as the article was, FWIW, my memory of hurricanes as a kid was a combination of excitement and mind-numbing boredom, even in a cottage where we never had a TV. Reading to candlelight was suboptimal, and there's only so much family togetherness you can stand, especially since power outages tend to force everyone to cluster in one space. Hell, even with power, two days stuck with my fully grown family during a snowstorm was a bit of a trial. A couple of days without power, in close quarters with 9 of my siblings? I'd be praying for death (or gameboy) as well.

[skreeky]

what makes you cringe first.

A site I have to log into? Sorry, dude.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Me too. But you can reach the link by Googling on "immaculate mini-mansion".

[ruthi.livejournal.com]

How do you keep any living place, let alone a mini-mansion, *immaculate*, with no electricity and nine children (none of whom get told to tidy up when they whine that they are bored) ??

Off-topic extraordinaire

[magid.livejournal.com]

Not that the article isn't a bit horrifying (why have all those kids when you're not so interested in coalescing into a family?), but I saw this article on mangosteens in today's NY Times, and thought you might want to read about yourself :-).

Re: Off-topic extraordinaire

[exponentialdk.livejournal.com]

While searching in Google for the article, so I could read a cached version, I came across this clip from one page:

"the world's most seductive fruit, the mangosteen"

(I'm imagining our friend using that as the new bio for his userinfo page. :-)

Re: Off-topic extraordinaire

[magid.livejournal.com]

He doesn't seem to have used it yet, but I'm still hoping :-)