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khmerhit · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 6:53 am Post subject: N.E.D.S.

According to CNN tonite, a novel affliction is plaguing the developed world:
it is called New Economy Depression Syndrome, (or NEDS) I shit you not,
people. There it is, Check out CNN today! According to the talking heads, this malaise affects users of new technologies who suffer from an over
abundance of solitude. CNN urges them to make human contact! Wow!!!!!
They get depressed out of lack of human contact. Does this affect us in
EF/ESL? I think not!!!!! At least, not within school hours, eh?
Wow; i wonder how long did it take to come up with that? New tech has
been around for more than a decade hasn't it? You'd think they could
cobble something more substantive together than that old rubbish!
Anyway, if you're feeling LONELY because you talk to a computer rather than a real live person, then immediatelycontact the industry shrinks at CNN --you may be suffering from NEDS!!!

Don't worry, they'll be sure to set you right. Of course, you might have to leave a recorded message.... Very Happy

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

Computers have been able to entertain us to the point of not needing humans since the late 1970s. The commodore PETs (and later C64s), Texas Insurments computers, and ATARI machines took care of that. I remember those from my preschool years. I've been a computer junky since at least the age of four. I remember PAC MAN when it was new, the ET game when ET was new, Space Invaders (games lasted longer back then - a six year old game didn't age as badly) etc.

I remember at the age of six noticing that some of the early office programs my father had wouldn't allow dates for after Dec 31, 1999 to be printed on the documents. That was later known as the Mellenium Bug, no? I discovered it in 1983.

So, in all this time, it makes news NOW? After being a part of my life for almost as long as I've been alive? What's next? Jimmy Carter not being president anymore? No Shah in Iran?

Just some thoughts.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Hehe, I have similar memories. Picture teh scene. Me and my siblings weren't in the habit of playoing with teh other kids (I was probably 5 o so at the time). Teachers notice this, and think something is wrong. Much wringing of hands later, a decision is made to send a social worker to check in case a parent is abusing us poor kids. What do they find? We are huddled around an Atari games console playing some game that would qualify as retro today. Case closed. Social worker puzzled, wondering what the strange TV programme was.