Okay, as I'm a bit grouchy, I will bite. Here are some of the changes I see:
There's a generation rising up that largely sees privacy as disposable rather than precious.
Groups of what I'd call the wilfully ignorant -- hate groups, cults -- are thriving out in the information age; most of them growing far faster than they would have been able to previously.
Decades ago, society's malcontents may have organised, marched, and changed things. Today: they can organise, march, and be ignored due to our society-wide ADD and the incredible media sophistication wielded by the powerful.
Or, more often, they can do none of that, vent on the net, and still be ignored.
Then there's the huge, undeniable, centralisation going on. Even without evil being actively done within organisations like Facebook or Google, it creates huge vulnerabilities for abuse, as we've already seen.
There are all of the extremely bright people who ought to be contributing to the next technological revolution(s), instead looking to reinvent online marketing.
In short.... I do see change. I don't see much change for the better -- not when it comes to "reshaping the face of society" kind of change, in any case.
It's easy to be a cynic, and it's hard to argue with one. But cynics don't change the world for the better. Your opponent in this argument has done it.
There's a generation rising up that largely sees privacy as disposable rather than precious.
Groups of what I'd call the wilfully ignorant -- hate groups, cults -- are thriving out in the information age; most of them growing far faster than they would have been able to previously.
Decades ago, society's malcontents may have organised, marched, and changed things. Today: they can organise, march, and be ignored due to our society-wide ADD and the incredible media sophistication wielded by the powerful.
Or, more often, they can do none of that, vent on the net, and still be ignored.
Then there's the huge, undeniable, centralisation going on. Even without evil being actively done within organisations like Facebook or Google, it creates huge vulnerabilities for abuse, as we've already seen.
There are all of the extremely bright people who ought to be contributing to the next technological revolution(s), instead looking to reinvent online marketing.
In short.... I do see change. I don't see much change for the better -- not when it comes to "reshaping the face of society" kind of change, in any case.
How's that for your daily dose of cynicism?