Utopian Society or Death to Humanity?

[MillieW]

I had a fabulous conversation this morning with Alex, (an offsite friend) regarding the Uber Eats and Deliveroo's of today. A service causing one to salivate on demand. Lockdown necessity, combined with our Amazon habits of "want it now, get it now", and the "ASDA mashed potato" gang, have exponentially pushed the growth of swiping left or right, not to find a date, but to get your Jammie Dodgers delivered for £1.49 plus a mere £2.50 delivery from the 24-hour garage.

Conversation turned to thoughts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the roast dinner bubble gum, the various Apollo missions with your entire week's rations in tablet form as we pondered how long it would be before Lamb and Mint Sauce arrived in a matchbox, costing a reasonable £100 for 5 on offer.

It won't be long, I fear, before washing up is represented in the British Museum as laughable. Fairy Liquid will be something of the past, resigned to stand amongst the washboards of yesteryear.

Never again will society dash to bulk buy toilet rolls, as with little input, we'll have so little output.

While we rush headlong into self-driving cars and drone drop-offs of Mars bars, what will the white-van-man do with his time?

What's in your Utopian Society?

 

[Dardii]

All I can say is that my world is made completely from pink sponge.


Seriously though, it does make people wonder what life could be like in future years. The new sewing machine I got only 2 weeks ago is already out of date. Phones are like that too.. In fact that's the way tech is, made one minute, out of date the next. I'm so glad that I'm not a worrier.

But really.. Pink Sponge.. That's the way forward.. Think about it...

 

[Wojcik]

Someone's utopia could be another's dystopia lol. For me it would be more trees, less cars(perhaps an alternative method on transport that is more environmentally friendly), people learning how to grown their own food which would also keep them physically active(will help cut obesity levels), less working hours and more free time to be productive(growing food, looking after kids, family time, encourage voluntary work).

As long as we have a cleaner and healthier environment in the future, I'll be happy.

 

[MillieW]

Someone's utopia could be another's dystopia lol. For me it would be more trees, less cars(perhaps an alternative method on transport that is more environmentally friendly), people learning how to grown their own food which would also keep them physically active(will help cut obesity levels), less working hours and more free time to be productive(growing food, looking after kids, family time, encourage voluntary work).

As long as we have a cleaner and healthier environment in the future, I'll be happy.

In effect, going back to pre-80's tech.

 

[Wojcik]

In effect, going back to pre-80's tech.

Maybe adopting and expanding on the idea to make it more efficient for modern use. We could use what worked but update it. I think learning to be self sufficient is a skill that is useful.

 

[MillieW]

In fact, the early 80's was pretty perfect, we had a good balance of everything. I wish i remembered more of the 1970's - it might have been the utopia you seek, @Wojcik but i'll never remember. I know we grew our own veg, kept physically active, looked after our own kids and had family time. We didn't need to volunteer then - people helped each other without having to sign up to do it.

 

[MillieW]

Maybe adopting and expanding on the idea to make it more efficient for modern use. We could use what worked but update it. I think learning to be self sufficient is a skill that is useful.

It is. But I fear that it's nowhere near as attractive as what you can learn from an iPad. Some kids are not inclined to pick up these skills.

 

[Wojcik]

In fact, the early 80's was pretty perfect, we had a good balance of everything. I wish i remembered more of the 1970's - it might have been the utopia you seek, @Wojcik but i'll never remember. I know we grew our own veg, kept physically active, looked after our own kids and had family time. We didn't need to volunteer then - people helped each other without having to sign up to do it.

I remember my late Polish grandmother had two apple trees in her back garden, some gooseberries, those little strawberries things, rhubarb and a plot where she grew potatoes. And i have fond memories of going into the garden and raking the soil preparing to plant more, and then watering the soil. I do miss those days because i would climb the trees and grab cooking apples to make apple pie back in the house.

And it's a shame that not many people have that. I know i miss having apple trees in the garden and the opportunity of growing vegetables.

 

[Wojcik]

It is. But I fear that it's nowhere near as attractive as what you can learn from an iPad. Some kids are not inclined to pick up these skills.

It's a shame, isn't it. We're all distracted by all these things that gives us stimulation, and we miss out on all the things out there. We're staying indoors more, and being outside less. I mean it's easier to click online and order shopping, rather than going out to the supermarkets and buying your own food now.

 

[MillieW]

I have that garden, and I hate "fitting in" meaning i have to work 35 hours into a society i feel i don't belong in. I want to tend my garden, grow my vegetables and live off my own produce. I have apples, blackcurrants, raspberries, blueberries. I long to grow more vegetables, but work doesn't afford the time to look after them. Not properly, anyway.

I prefer home cooking to plastic tubs. I appreciate the tech, but it's taken so much way from the vast tapestry of life.

 

[Wojcik]

I have that garden, and I hate "fitting in" meaning i have to work 35 hours into a society i feel i don't belong in. I want to tend my garden, grow my vegetables and live off my own produce. I have apples, blackcurrants, raspberries, blueberries. I long to grow more vegetables, but work doesn't afford the time to look after them. Not properly, anyway.

I prefer home cooking to plastic tubs. I appreciate the tech, but it's taken so much way from the vast tapestry of life.

Sounds like true freedom to me. Being able to become self sufficient and not rely on others. And i think it is an achievable goal, it's just it will take a lot of work to accomplish. The real distraction, like you've pointed out, is technology, and how technology has made life a lot easier. With the click of a button you can order your shopping to be delivered that following afternoon or evening.

 

[MillieW]

Sounds like true freedom to me. Being able to become self sufficient and not rely on others. And i think it is an achievable goal, it's just it will take a lot of work to accomplish. The real distraction, like you've pointed out, is technology, and how technology has made life a lot easier. With the click of a button you can order your shopping to be delivered that following afternoon or evening.

Getting used to having instant gratification "Candy Crush", "Amazon Same Day", etc, means no one is inclined to wait for a seedling to sprout, never mind a whole vegetable crop.

If we used the tech to provide seed that was "plant and forget" like wildflower seeds, maybe we'd have a chance. An auto rotovator akin to robovac, that came out and ploughed for us, we would have a head start.

 

[Wojcik]

Getting used to having instant gratification "Candy Crush", "Amazon Same Day", etc, means no one is inclined to wait for a seedling to sprout, never mind a whole vegetable crop.

If we used the tech to provide seed that was "plant and forget" like wildflower seeds, maybe we'd have a chance. An auto rotovator akin to robovac, that came out and ploughed for us, we would have a head start.

It's a great point. We've been conditioned into instant gratification. There's a lot of those life sim games, especially games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Farm Simulator. Stuff like that. And they promote instant gratification. And unrealistic view on how growing your ploughing your fields and growing your crops would actually work. And there's that sense of achievement without actually doing it for real.

We could develop technology to make it easier for people to plough and grow their own food, and it could be the future of food. I imagine food waste would probably decline in general if more and more people understood the work that goes into growing that food to eventually end up on their plates.