Social media, it's changed almost everything

With magazines pretty much restricted to the adult book store, how do teenagers get posters plaster their bedroom walls? Mine were covered with posters and collages made from all the images too small use as solo posters. Or are patents too precious about paint these days?
 

Funny you linked to ruok, I was listening to the radio on the way home from work this afternoon being told by someone from ruok that on average people spend 46 hours a week on screens, and only 6 hours spending time with family and friends (clearly referring to this: https://www.ruok.org.au/new-survey-...ens-than-quality-time-with-family-and-friends). Although, I'm thinking that a lot of those 46 hours might actually be interacting with friends and family as is the norm in the modern connected age, so the numbers are probably skewed a bit to make a point.

No one is going to disagree with Dozer that the internet and social media has changed mtb, just as it has pretty much every other aspect of our lives. It's made the world smaller, but not necessarily a better place. I've got at least a decade on the likes of Dozer and Mica and remember when our home phone number was only three digits long and nosey old ladies in the exchange would be eavesdropping on your calls. I try telling my kids that I grew up with a black and white TV, shat in a long drop dunny full of rats and ate rabbits that my old man would run down on the way home and mum would stew up for dinner, and it's so far from their modern reality they just don't believe me. And I shit you not - we actually had a black and white television.

In my opinion the internet has eroded people's ability to take joy and have fulfilment from the simple moments in life; now it's all about instant news, photo/video scandals, social media outrage, and shit you couldn't care less about. But, I get that this is the modern age and change is inevitable and I'm not quite the old fossil hobbling around wheezing 'when I was a boy...' through toothless gums just yet and am still enjoying the ride. There seemed to be a lot more pleasure in the simpler aspects of life 30 years ago, but back then your life was probably lived in a bubble around 50km in radius and you were oblivious to the rest of the world. Shining a torch down into the pit of that long drop shithouse and seeing rats the size of blue heelers gnawing on your still steaming loaf contributed so much more to a life less worldly. Ok, that's probably a bad example.

Bike wise, not so much history; always loved being in the outdoors and bikes were pretty much your only mode of transport as a kid, but until more recently never thought to mix the two and ever imagined being on two wheels in the bush could be such an enjoyable experience. I absolutely wish I could turn back the clock 20 years and have been riding since - I know I'd be a better person for it. I do appreciate Mica's comment that despite the increasing popularity of the sport, there's always room for more. I'm probably that stereotypical middle aged twat that can't ride for shit that you all loathe to come across on the trails, but you're still friendly toward me anyway. These inclusive attitudes and the conversations here are far more interesting than Bieber, Kardashians, Real Housewives of bumfuck and the rest of the diarrhea you get sprayed with on FB or elsewhere online.

Enough said - I'll leave you long-time riders with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV3d6sN01a8
(fast forward to 1:34 for the best bit)
 
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Is it just me or was everyone (myself included) more reliable before mobile phones? Turned up, on time, as arranged, minimal fuss...so much flip flopping and chatter to get things moving these days.
[video=youtube_share;_RbMv7HUiO4]https://youtu.be/_RbMv7HUiO4[/video]
 
I'm running out of people to ride with as I get no responses to rides i organise. Great guys, shit at committing to ride.
 
Like TV was, social media is the opiate of the masses.Before TV was radio, before that letters ,poetry, plays , opera.
Most people love to communicate .
Fortunately we just set a time for winter rides for the next 3 months and go.
 
Could just be me, but as far as products and sports go, mtb still seems immature or at least directionless still in growth phase of participants despite being what 40-50years old? Maybe it's steady, I'm struggling to find current stats across the board. As such still doesn't seem to have found a sustainable rhythm. It seems that the focus on techy stuff makes up a fair chunk of mtbikes, it's almost part of the culture of mtb to worship gadgetry and other geewhiz level technology. I spose that blends well with social media and sales and marketing, short cycle times of information. But pretty annoying if you aren't into that. I am guessing roadie is even worse for making things obsolete.

I'm not even sure what the sport needs (& I differentiate between the sport and the industry) & how social media can help or harm it. Does it need more riders on trails? Does it need more geewhiz level bike tech? More maps showing people where the trails are? Does it need more e-shifting? More clever sh1t to shave 2s off your loop? I guess it depends on your perspective and what interest you are wanting to develop or protect.

But I’m hoping that as the sport matures so too does people's awareness of what's going on and that unless they take control of their destiny, it might be hijacked by other agenda-seeking types & corporations. The ability to make obsolete 26in bikes in the short space of years is an example. Who knows, social media may even assist in that regard.

If have 5mins and want an idea of how crafty advertising people are, and laugh at having it used against them, check this out https://youtu.be/YQXe1CokWqQ
 
Yes have to agree ridiculous emphasis on wanky techy equipment on rotorburn and elsewhere driven by capitalism and need to consume and not really much emphasis on adventure trips, exciting places or really interesting tracks .
at least now there is a travel section.
 
Yes have to agree ridiculous emphasis on wanky techy equipment on rotorburn and elsewhere driven by capitalism and need to consume and not really much emphasis on adventure trips, exciting places or really interesting tracks .
at least now there is a travel section.

You're welcome.
 
I just deactivated my Twitter account - the algorithm is pushing me more and more towards confrontation with dickhead football fans and bike hating motorists, just the thickest or most blinkered people and they were pulling me down to their level. Congrats to Elon Muck for engineering Twitter towards a platform of hate and division but I no longer want to be a part of it.

I'm going to enjoy being free of yet another time sink. YouTube shorts on the other hand - total k-hole!
 
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