Are People Paranoid Today
@just4him (323168)
Green Bay, Wisconsin
January 15, 2020 2:36pm CST
Every so often I hear things on the radio that makes me want to say, "Say what?" Then I read it here and I wonder if we are becoming paranoid.
When I was a kid, my dad left the keys to the car in the ignition and the doors to the house unlocked. Neighbors watched our home when we weren't there, and us kids were outside from morning to night. We would go to our friends' home and ask if they could play, and either went inside or spent the day outside.
Fast forward to the 21st century. We have terrorism haunting our schools, homes, churches, and malls. It isn't safe to do anything. So, what do people do? They make their homes SMART. At the push of a button, you can do everything inside the house while you're away. People put cameras on their doors so they can see who's there without opening the door to find out. Forget that peephole in the door. It's a camera now.
Are people really that afraid they need to be locked inside afraid to go out?
No, I'm not afraid to step outside my door. I live in an apartment complex. It is a security locked door, so no one can just walk in. The door buzzer has three buttons. I've only got the one to let the person inside figured out. I know one is to talk and the other is to listen. I'm sure they work. I tried it once but had difficulty with it, so I just let the person in. Is it always for me? No, but it is for the people who live here. I'm not worried about it.
And that's the thing. I'm not worried about it. I haven't changed who I am and become all paranoid to go out and do what I need to do. With the way our lives are going, we won't be leaving our homes soon. Everything will be delivered to us. Everything will be done online. Stores and malls will become empty and people will become flabby and fat through stagnation. Our lives will be virtual reality. Nothing real about them any longer.
I hope my life doesn't become a virtual reality without meaning. If we're not careful, that's where our lives are headed. No one will leave their home for any reason.
They're already making driverless cars. Delivery people will be robots. The future looks scary. I almost wish we could go back to the days when we could leave the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked.
What's your take on this new future? Thanks for reading.
16 people like this
17 responses
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
15 Jan 20
We have become a place that no one knows anyone else unless it is family or online. Soon families will disappear as you cant meet anyone new like that. I do have a ring doorbell. We wanted it so we know someone is there. Many people knock on the outside door and we cant hear it in the house.
4 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
16 Jan 20
{cough} we've not e'en a key fer our doors 'n there's 'lways a set 'f keys'n the trucks. trailers 're fair game, too, if'n someone wished 'em. 'f course, i've great pity fer someone tryin' to steal somethin' here. purty certain the word 'tis still out that i'm half a stone past bat-poop crazy. my 'nly fear 'tis spiders 'n wasps. which's dumb, i know.
's fer society these days? makes me most sad. too many nut-birds runnin' 'mok. too many to steal from someone, harm 'em if'n they feel necessary. i dislike 't very much.
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
16 Jan 20
@just4him i confess the front doors 're locked, though not fer safety. the hubs didn't 'nstall 'em proper 'n 'tis a deterrent to keep folks from tryin' to open 'em. would damage the screen door (pushin', shovin') 's well 's the interior. both 'f which were new...
yes ma'am, 'n jest seems to get worse my the second :(
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jan 20
@crazyhorseladycx I'm sorry they weren't installed properly.
Yes, it is getting worse by the second. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be as carefree as your critters?
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jan 20
We are becoming an insulated society with lessening real human contact.
3 people like this
@thelme55 (79311)
• Germany
15 Jan 20
I hear you. I have lived the time when our doors were always open and neighbors can easily get inside. No locks at all.
Now, I don´t open or push the button for opening the door for who will like to come inside the building. I just ignore it when I am not expecting a visitor. A scarry future when we are all scared of everything.
3 people like this
@porwest (112717)
• United States
16 Jan 20
I am a bit worried about it as well. I am not sure if the world is less safe than it used to be. I just think we have more people in the world now, and so there are going to be a higher percentage of bad guys as a result, AND we have a 24 hour news cycle, and so we hear more about things going on in other places whereas before you may have had to find an article buried deep in a newspaper.
One thing I think has lead to some of this laziness is social media. I said long ago that the more connected we become electronically, the less connected we become in reality. People are far too concerned about convenience, and people don't necessarily seem to want to interact on a personal level. I've seen young people sitting in a restaurant not even talking to each other, but instead have their faces buried in their phones.
I will not fall victim to it if I can help it.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
15 Jan 20
My front door doesn’t have a peephole so we have a doorbell camera. We also have cameras installed around the home because there are spots we can’t see. If we hear something in the middle of the night, I’m sure not going get out of bed to check 
But yeah nowadays leaving car ignition on while going inside, could be an easy target nowadays. Sad to see how the world is becoming! We gotta be alert
But yeah nowadays leaving car ignition on while going inside, could be an easy target nowadays. Sad to see how the world is becoming! We gotta be alert2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
15 Jan 20
I will not cow down to being afraid that is what I know.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
16 Jan 20
@just4him Right keep going Valerie
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89458)
• Rupert, Idaho
16 Jan 20
I am not really sure what to think. I guess there are some good things that come through with the future stuff....but definitely a lot of craziness too.
My grandpa will still leave the car in the ignition to this day. However he will make sure the house is always locked when nobody is home.
2 people like this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jan 20
@MommyOfEli2013 There's one neighbor I wish I didn't know. She's a thief and stole from me.
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89458)
• Rupert, Idaho
16 Jan 20
@just4him Yes, I definitely understand! Living in an apartment complex, we do know some of our neighbors luckily.
1 person likes this
@mynameiskate (2658)
•
16 Jan 20
The future looks scary?
When I was young in the good ole days our family car didn't have seat belts. We would hang out on the ledge where the back window was. In a car accident it would have been catastrophic. While playing on our front lawn one day in broad day light if it wasn't for my older brother wondering outside I would have been enticed into a strangers car for candy. He said he knew my mother and called her by name after asking me what her name was. As a child I didn't put the question and the statement together. Adults never lied. No one called the police. Times changed a neighbor of ours bought their children lawn darts. These are real huge darts that can be thrown into the air so as to cause serious injury to the children. Sold at the local department store. Those were the good ole days.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jan 20
@mynameiskate But we don't look at those times as dangerous. We look at them as having fun. I know a person falling out of the family car is serious.
1 person likes this
@mynameiskate (2658)
•
16 Jan 20
@just4him I've was told by people that they fell out of their family car as they went around a corner. I do remember on the old cars slamming the door closed and it would pop back out again until someone would show you that the handle had to be just a certain way. What!!!!
1 person likes this
@divalounger (6182)
• United States
16 Jan 20
What an interesting discussion. We are headed for more robotics and automation in the workplace--and I do think there will be a loss of jobs--I am not sure how that will play out in terms of leaving or not leaving home--but I do know that there seems to be much more violence now and I expect that trend will continue--People are unhappy--and it is difficult to get along--at least in most cities
1 person likes this
@divalounger (6182)
• United States
16 Jan 20
@just4him certainly large segments of workers will lose their jobs--and I don't think we are prepared for that, but I suspect that change is coming soon--
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jan 20
@divalounger With more jobs becoming home jobs or done by robots, the future is now.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
16 Jan 20
I think it's funny that we are outraged at the idea of caged animals on farms or at zoos, they should be free-range or in the wild! (and I agree). And yet we humans are becoming more and more caged up of our own free will! And as for becoming flabby and fat through stagnation - well that has already happened, haven't you noticed?
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
17 Jan 20
@just4him
I do not look at myself as paranoid. I look at myself as being cautious. If I do not know someone I will not let them into my apartment. I still believe in the peephole. I also have a good door. Life is not easy these days. Thank you for sharing.
1 person likes this
