I have the same concerns about our society. It is more than just appearance, manners, civility and the ability for critical thought and rational discussion seems to be waning as well.
It is normal for people to get less active and put on weight as they age. When my wife and I came of age we didn't have all these electronic distractions, and exercising was a popular past time. She was a regional aerobics teacher champion and I was a bicycle racing state road champion. We assumed that our children would want to follow in our footsteps. But we were unable to get any of them very interested physical activity except for very specific purposes.
Our youngest child is 35. She covered herself with tattoos and got super fat. She has been married 3 times and lived with another guy for a couple of years. We could tell when she was going to be getting rid of her current man because she would start exercising and lose a lot of weight. She would also change her hair and makeup and start dressing nice.
She is very intelligent and actually managed to get a masters degree in accounting at the very top of her class. In all cases she has earned significantly more than her husbands. She has given us 3 wonderful grandchildren all of which her former husbands (who are all great guys) have custody of and she pays them support. She didn't fight for custody of any of the children. She doesn't seem like a bad mother, but it is kind of a weird role reversal and this situation is definitely hard on the children. And I often wonder how her example will affect them.
I have gotten a little side tracked but I think that all these computer and electronic distractions combined with a poor diet and almost complete lack of physical activity has made our young people fatter, and less attractive to one another. It probably negatively affects their libido as well. It does not surprise me at all that the rate of marriage for young men would be down.
I do not really buy the premises of the article all that "cheap sex" is however, because our youngest who is closest to the age group does not seem to have any problem at all finding young men to marry her. Admittedly, she probably understands how to use social media and how to pick out an eligible victim better than most. But there seem to be plenty of guys willing to marry her even with the baggage she brings along.
Yeah, its not all looks. Some women that that personality. I don’t pretend to be an expert on the psychology of attraction.
I’m astounded that as a father you speak of your daughter in such a way. “eligible victim” “baggage she carries” WTF?
The more I read the posts on this thread, the more I understand how the breakdown of the family occurred in our society.
I have gotten a little side tracked but I think that all these computer and electronic distractions combined with a poor diet and almost complete lack of physical activity has made our young people fatter, and less attractive to one another. ============================================================
My 2 cents is that access to unlimited information and smartphones has had the following effects:
1. Allowed people to create their own information bubbles
2. Distort reality
3. Degrade civility
4. Reduce common sense
5. Reduce physical activity, which in turn reduces attractiveness
I tell some people this and they just label me an old curmudgeon. However, I don’t think it is age. If anything, my experience better allows me to compare now & then.
I think the smartphones especially give people a sense of power and invulnerability. They imagine they can influence the world by using hashtags or liking something. It distorts reality and is a dangerous delusion.
I use my computer a lot but do not own a smartphone on purpose (just a plain flip phone).