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Digg users cannot form lasting relationships?

telegraph.co.uk — A generation growing up with social networking websites such as Facebook and Digg are unable to form lasting relationships and are at increased risk of behaving impulsively, an expert has warned.

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  • Haoie, on 07/04/2008, -3/+131Based on solid past experience, I can't disagree with that.

    But to be fair, I was pretty hopeless before social networking existed, too.
    • benologist, on 07/04/2008, -0/+26I agree with you.

      But to be fair I'm pretty sure my ex was a **** before social networking too.
    • columbusgeek, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6How the hell does one establish a relationship without MySPace or Facebook?

      /confused
      • Synchro, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3Back in my day, there was this thing called talking. We did it in person, face to face. none of this technology, you young whipper snappers have today.
    • Netwatcher, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7Bah! If anything eGen is more networked and social then any previous generation before them.

      Dr. Himanshu Tyagi seems to have based his thesis completely off conjecture rather then actual, research or study. He cited the Bridgend suicides, claiming that the only thing that linked these kids was the Internet. Which is weird as over half the kids who killed themselves there didn't even own a computer. Maybe if Dr. Tyagi was more familiar with computers he might have at least consulted Google, before he dropped that nugget.

      This is just a classic "old people are scared of the change/Internet" hit piece and it should be buried as inaccurate.
      • PopcornDave, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1"Maybe if Dr. Tyagi was more familiar with computers he might have at least consulted Google, before he dropped that nugget."

        What? Present facts when rampant speculation will get your studies published by those who have already reached your foregone conclusion?
    • sporg, on 07/04/2008, -2/+2Nothing Lasts.
    • calon9, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5I've had a relationship with that snorg tees girl for months. She's there for me in the corner of my screen. Always smiling at me; Watching patiently and affectionately as I digg stories and write comments. I doubt this relationship will ever end.

      Woah... is that a new bustedtees girl?
      • chaosblade77, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0One of them has a mustache... watch out.
    • billyf1, on 07/05/2008, -1/+0meanwhile, has anyone seen the new iphone thats coming out?!
      i'm gonna buy two!!!11
  • siobhankeogh, on 07/04/2008, -11/+127Buried for inaccuracy. Diggers can't form ANY relationships.
    • jexxie, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4I sense diggbait.
      • Netwatcher, on 07/04/2008, -1/+1My common sense is tingling!

        Your right its Diggbait!
    • aphexcoil, on 07/04/2008, -0/+28Unless you're talking about databases?
    • georgemason01, on 07/04/2008, -1/+63Speak for yourself...I had a whole 5-minute conversation with a girl once. I got a hard-on from it too. The only reason it ended was because her boyfriend called her.
    • dOOBiEx213, on 07/04/2008, -17/+7OMG, that was sooooooo clever. I've NEVER, ever seen anyone comment that digg users can't get a girl. Bravo on originality. You're a funny man... a funny, funny man. Have you considered being a stand-up comic? Sooo clever.
  • sockpuppets, on 07/04/2008, -8/+141A/S/L?

    ***** IT, I'LL DO IT LIVE!
    • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0It's like I'm on AOL all over again.
    • diceau, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2Hahaha damn, I can't believe that just became funny again.
  • tyshro, on 07/04/2008, -14/+30Well it does change the world, but so did that horrific world shattering guy with the hips, Elvis what's his name. And those horrific long haired British guys? Whatever those crazy bug named fellas were they sure did mess up the world .... In fact I'll bet that in every generation, disruptive changes are seen as threats by the older generations.
    • superoven, on 07/04/2008, -3/+8I don't know why people digg you down, its a good point
    • Lutremi, on 07/04/2008, -4/+7So you're comparing Digg to Elvis and The Beatles?

      ...
      • Sethbacca, on 07/04/2008, -1/+6No, he's using Elvis and the Beatles to represent "disruptive changes" that occurred during a prior generation. Every generation has "disruptive changes" that the prior generations say are going to end up destroying the current generation. Learn to read :P
    • slazer, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2but it's not like elvis was magically relaying paper messages in real-time. ur talking world-wide fanhood. this is about our globe being a helluvalot smaller. it's so small that one person can have a ringo-star-like effect on people on the opposite side of the earth. right?
    • Thrunq, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1So you're comparing a nascent lifestyle (not my own, but ask any 15 year old how many friends they have and 9 times out of 10 they'll quote their myspace friends list) to a fat guy dead on a toilet and a half-dead band?

      Hats off...
  • m0n0kr0m3, on 07/04/2008, -2/+17How about some real news people. Tell me something I don't know. :D
  • JekJob, on 07/04/2008, -10/+57Experts have no idea what they're talking about.
    • Netwatcher, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2On what basis does any call this quack and expert. He doesn't even understand the basic laws of human social interaction, or research for that mater. That doesn't make him an expert that makes him a hack.

      An expert is someone who will tell you what you can't do, and why you can't do it...
      ... and then do it anyway.


    • KnightHawk2277, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2"It's a world where everything moves fast and changes all the time, where relationships are quickly disposed at the click of a mouse, where you can delete your profile if you don't like it and swap an unacceptable identity in the blink of an eye for one that is more acceptable."

      This is so true.... I know someone that had 10+ fake profiles(mostly girls) on myspace. He made fake profiles just to have "friends" for his fake profiles. One of them he even said he had sex with. He denied that they were fake until I put a keylogger on my computer and got the email address and password for most of them. Even after that he still tried to deny that some of them were fake.....
  • DinosWillDie13, on 07/04/2008, -8/+25i smell a load of *****...
    • moxx, on 07/04/2008, -0/+10How do you differentiate a load from a pile or even say an ounce?
    • rheaume, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3See? That's why they cant form relationships, you hate to SHOWER
    • tehknotte, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2for some reason when i read this in my head it sounds like movie trailer guy is saying it: "I smell a looad of Bull *****"
  • benologist, on 07/04/2008, -2/+50Nice spin but as much as it's described as a 'social' site there isn't much of a social aspect to the site. Digg is about itself and the submissions, we're basically just spectators even though we contribute the content and stuff. Even your profile is just an overview of what you're doing on digg, with at most a small amount of information you can provide. Social sites are about the people using them, down to the crap they like, the boring ***** they do and the god awful poetry they write.

    I don't think the article's telling us anything new either. People who always had the internet have short attention spans and bad people skills? Good work Einstein.
    • splinter09, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3couldn't agree with you more benologist. Was going to leave a comment but you covered it al.
      thx.
    • Jeffler, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2down to the crap they like,
      -> Submissions
      the boring ***** they do
      -> Diggs
      and the god awful poetry they write.
      -> Comments

      ...
    • yotsukado, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1The article isn't saying anything new, to this group of people. Many people are completely unaware of what this new Internet age is doing. While being spectators, Digg creates an incredibly fast paced view for us. In the real world, you can't very much expect to see a new article and then at the same time see a group of people's opinion on said article.
  • illustrick, on 07/04/2008, -10/+1.....is it me or does this not really make sense.....because i know some digg users that are ***** 40, that can't keep a relationship.....way before social networks existed.... and my sister.....who is almost 30(28) just got married.....and she reads digg.
    • helleborus, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1***** 40??!! On digg? You must be kidding ... how do they? .... oh, right - braille keyboards.
  • JoeBaynham, on 07/04/2008, -3/+2Surely the title should be "Digg user cannot form relationships!" and in which case would not be news to me.
  • justice7, on 07/04/2008, -7/+16i think this article is full of *****.
  • Shaman760, on 07/04/2008, -3/+2What do you expect from the apathetic minions that rule this board?

    Umm....guess I'm one of them as well. :D
  • destron, on 07/04/2008, -4/+30Anybody notice that the title of the article is "Facebook and MySpace generation 'cannot form relationships'", and does not mention Digg at all?
    • Mardi, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2people on digg use facebook/myspace...
      • Prathik89, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Well, people in the local library, gym, office use myspace/ facebook as well. So that means they get no lasting relationships? I don't use any social site, waste of time in my opinion.
  • Roger, on 07/04/2008, -0/+51Digg isn't nearly as social as Facebook.

    "Shouts" and "friends" are useless features and most commenters might as well be anonymous.
    • dullnation, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4Too true. Digg worked just as well if not better before they tried to slap some "social" polish on top of everything.
      • MattBD, on 07/04/2008, -0/+8The only thing the social features EVER seem to get used for is to get people to Digg things for you.
    • domagoj412, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2I think it is mention here just to gain visitors from digg.
  • zyl0x, on 07/04/2008, -0/+42Correlation does not imply causation. Maybe people who are unable to form lasting relationships flock to Digg?
    • aphexcoil, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7Who needs meaningful relationships when you have fans?
      • Netwatcher, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2This weekend I just helped eight friends move...

        ... to my top eight.
    • gryphon50, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6that's exactly what I was going to say...I don't know about Digg but people that spend the most time on the Net in general probably don't have alot of real-life relationships.
    • Kzoo, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Indeed. It seems a lot of people like to call a possible symptom a possible cause instead.
    • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0Might be something to that. Used to be that online communities were for geeks... before the internet was "cool". But now it seems everyone but me has a myspace or facebook or whatnot. The few minutes a year I spend on those sites feel so pathetic to me. I don't know why but it's kind of depressing like people are trying to distill themselves down to the music they like, the things they do, what they wear. I have a lot of passion for different things but I don't like the idea of being defined by them.
  • jjb1983, on 07/04/2008, -3/+7They used to say the same thing about TV and that generation is doing a fine job running the world :/
  • bobara, on 07/04/2008, -1/+1not news to me either, given some of the comments i see people leave here and elsewhere, they really must not be able to communicate in real life so they come on here and spew hatred and negativity at anything and everything. but i also see the positive impact of social networking sites. hopefully someday soon we'll figure out how to balance the two.

    in the end, annoying people are going to exist everywhere you go...on-line or not.
  • franklyzappa, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4Relationship? I'm waiting for the Love-Bot.
  • virtualonliner, on 07/04/2008, -2/+4Buried because of speculation and extrapolation. Article does not mention digg. Only Facebook and MySpace.
  • rjc5056, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7As both my girlfriend and I are avid diggers and have been together for close to 3 and a half years, with no plans on breaking up, I'd have to personally disagree with this article, even if I'm an outlier.
    • BoonTobias, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4***** or it didn't happen
    • tacobelcanon, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3HEY INTERNET I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND
      • rjc5056, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2It might have come across like that had it not been completely relevant and pertaining to the article it was countering. Envy green is a bad look for you, man.
      • Ramble, on 07/05/2008, -1/+1Jackarse brown is a bad look for you too, yet you continue with it.
  • Maratanos, on 07/04/2008, -0/+39Dude, this article isn't even ABOUT Digg. Besies, Digg is a news aggregator, not a social networking site.
    • iyatoni, on 07/04/2008, -0/+13Exactly. The submitter thinks they can guarantee themself a high count by mentioning Digg in the title.

      pfft
    • merrickx, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1True, but think about most of the posts you see on Digg now. They're either political in nature or just silly. This meaning that Digg has probably been raided and raped by successful, middle-aged men, and 'myspacers'. Therefore, his title is probably somewhat accurate (somewhat oxymoron).
  • Syphon8, on 07/04/2008, -1/+15Acting impulsively is awesome.
  • CannedMango, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1***** this! I'm going to reddit..
  • bloodrave, on 07/04/2008, -1/+7Fluff and pseudoscience. Yeah, so the internet is changing the way people interact and socialize in a manner that differs from previous generations. Oh, the humanity! Think about the children! Family values!

    Blah ***** blah.
  • Devotia, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6I always thought Chris Hansen was the reason that Myspace users had troubles getting into relationships...
    • tehxhorace, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2best comment ever
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  • skyz, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3doing fine running the world ? i don't think so !
  • elfuego, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6They do make an interesting point about the ability to control your online self much more than your real world self. Essentially you can present any personality you like through facebook, and if that's how people perceive your actions and experiences, it's pretty much reality, isn't it?

    An example: I recently went on a trip to Vegas alone for a weekend, and facebooked updates on the stuff I was doing and things I was seeing throughout the trip, photos and all. Now, I didn't update the duller moments, or take photos of the mundane, not that there was much of either (I really did have a great time). But with that said, because the only source of information on my trip was myself, I had total control of the story and total control of people's perceptions. That level of image control is extremely seductive, and it does cause legitimate problems when you think the same principles apply in meatspace.

    You can be anyone you want on social sites. You can't be anyone you want in the real world. People who forget that run into problems.
    • mcmlxxii, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2You can portray yourself as something you're not in the real world too. You just have to be better at it.
      • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0Yha but when you make a fool of yourself out in a bar or something it's not going up on facebook.
    • PopcornDave, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1"But with that said, because the only source of information on my trip was myself, I had total control of the story and total control of people's perceptions. That level of image control is extremely seductive, and it does cause legitimate problems when you think the same principles apply in meatspace."

      You've just described network and cable news broadcasts.
  • Skab, on 07/04/2008, -1/+20Yes. Ill have to let my wife I've known for 12 years about this....
    • badjoke, on 07/04/2008, -0/+12To be fair, I don't think you fit into the generation they're discussing.
    • Skab, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2im 26 but i understand your point and i'll die for your right to say it good sir.
    • lemonkey, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1You can be antisocial and married :p
  • Oniobn, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3Replace digg/facebook/myspace with 4chan and I'll start to agree with you.
  • loquedesea, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5my girlfriend and i literally just broke up, to distract myself i popped on digg. how appropriate this was at the top of my RSS feed.
    • Ramble, on 07/05/2008, -2/+2You'll probably get one on monday when you go back to middle school.
      • J3Holaday, on 07/05/2008, -1/+1Dude, it's summer, and he can't drive! Now he'll have to wait 4 weeks!
      • loquedesea, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1*****, i wish i could still score middle school girls...
  • AZRoboto, on 07/04/2008, -3/+2A lot of Diggers are anti-political conspiracy theorists that believe Ron Paul is the best man in the world, xkcd is funny, and online petitions work.

    Oh, and that "Facebook dropping 'is'" is worth almost 5000 diggs.
    Proof: http://digg.com/tech_news/OFFICIAL_Facebook_drops_ ...
    • Netwatcher, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Who can be king of the Leprechauns and needs our help to protect his gold? Ron Paul!

      Ron Paul!
      Ron Paul!
      Ron Paul!

      Who can wear a tin foil hat? Ron Paul!



      Bah! Ok, he was just a $#@ meme, I'll give you that, but xkcd is funny.
  • Emachine, on 07/04/2008, -2/+3Digg users forming relationships? Buried as inaccurate.
  • kenwestin, on 07/04/2008, -1/+14"an expert has warned" - one opinion does not really warrant alarm

    I think it is a bit of a stretch to put the blame on social bookmarking sites or the internet in general. What about parents involvement? It seems we are always looking for places to place blame.
  • skyz, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2life on the net moves faster some people like that aspect so they would like someone who also likes that aspect

    it is true that all my friends are into the internet as otherwise we don't have all that much in common
    • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0But it's also not life.... it's more like the matrix only *****. Not that I have much room to talk.
      • skyz, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1it is life

        i have ended up talking to people meeting people and reading books written by people i 'met' on the internet

  • Tyrghast, on 07/04/2008, -0/+12Just checked my facebook page. No new friends, no comments. /wrists
  • dstz, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2100% inaccurate for me. I'm 32, so not totally dead yet but I'm using social networks and I kind of know what lasting relationships mean. This article just try to build on some self-evident ***** that isn't really self nor evident.
  • itsbob, on 07/04/2008, -1/+6Married 17 years, Digg daily, I have no problems with relationships.
    • benologist, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5Does your wife know you have no problems with relationships?
    • mikeasus, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1maybe you missed the part of the article that said people born after 1990, how old were you when you got married??
    • greedyemu, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1so... what was digg like in 1991?
  • noobpower, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1thats weird cuz i hav a relationship thats in its 7th month
    and im a digger
    hmmmm..... somethings wrong here
    i most dump my girlfriend tonight cuz digg says so
    • greedyemu, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0Holy *****, put a quarter in the juke box you've almost been together long enough to go steady
  • kinerry, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2I see this as a good thing

    More variety of sexual encounters

    We adapt easier as well
  • Briii, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2Was Jerry Seinfeld a digger?
  • supersteve, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2I have been is a very strong relationship for over 5 years now. Also I do buy things impulsively all the time, but I did that way before Digg and other sites.

    DIGG RULES!!!
    • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0I would think it difficult to have a strong relationship if you buy things all the time.... unless you happen to also have a lot of disposable income.
  • alpha88, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3PHEW I'm safe. I was born in 88, not 90.

    No but seriously I have a lasting relationship, this article is bull.
  • Naieve, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3Does this mean watching TV is okay again?

    I mean now that the "experts" are going to blame it all on internet instead?

    Personally I blame it all on the fact "parents" don't practice parenting.
    • tehxhorace, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2no because the internet ruined tv, don't you remember?

      *goes to check*

      no, wait, tv's still there, commercials and all
      • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0did for me. Have cable and still torrent everything I watch now. I can't remember last time the TV was on. May as well get rid of it.
    • PopcornDave, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1The networks sure hope so because they can't get you to watch their ***** otherwise.
  • GREEDOnvrFIRED, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2The way I see, the lasting relationship is like a "dirty job..." Someones gotta do it, but with some intelligence and careful decision making I can see to it that it ain't me.
  • TinternAbbot, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2Has more to do with the instant gratification available in a digital world than it does with "social networking."
  • Cryomerk, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2but i love you ;(
  • Marumekomu, on 07/04/2008, -0/+4What kind of a ***** study was this?

    Thanks for that massive generalization, assholes.
  • digitallysick, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Social networking just causes normal people to become even more anti social.
  • ceredron, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6Well, time to tell my girlfriend.

    "Listen, I know we've been together for about eight months, but listen... apparently I'm going act completely impulsively and break up with you, okay? Just get ready for that, cause it's coming, without a doubt. An expert said so."
    • Skooma714, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1They've been doing that since forever.
  • JeffHodsdon, on 07/04/2008, -0/+10Whew... I was born in '89... just made the cut.
    • bipolarruledout, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0Missed it by 12 years... still can't figure out what marketing generation i'm in at 29... but who gives a *****...
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