Are people more 'busy bodies' now than they were twenty years ago?

[Blake]

Have you noticed people are always looking at what you're up too?
Social media has something to do with it. People can't stand others who don't take notice of them. Yesterday, I was minding my own business in my car sitting in the shopping centre carpark while eating curried prawns and rice, and everybody walks past rubber necking what I was up too. Everyone's rushing, loading their boot full of slabs of soft drink and twenty plastic bags full of stuff. The local store has almost died. Everyone is a good little consumer.

 

[GNTLGNT]

...nibbiness has never gone out of style....

 

[PatInTheHat]

Nah, just more ways to be nosy...right now I reside in a real small river town that's not what one would exactly call, 'wired', but folks are 'connected', you know, smart(ish) phones and and such, and folks that don't even know me probably know what I had for supper yesterday.
Twenty five years ago I lived in somewhat the same kind of little river town, same river actually, and it was exactly the same kinda nosy Nellies....hmm, perhaps it's the river

 

[blunthead]

Nah, just more ways to be nosy...right now I reside in a real small river town that's not what one would exactly call, 'wired', but folks are 'connected', you know, smart(ish) phones and and such, and folks that don't even know me probably know what I had for supper yesterday.
Twenty five years ago I lived in somewhat the same kind of little river town, same river actually, and it was exactly the same kinda nosy Nellies....hmm, perhaps it's the river

Yeah, I think busy-bodyness, gossip, and nosiness have been with us since the dawn of man...and woman. (Don't hurt me!)

 

[fljoe0]

People have always been nosy. Here is a story I love about my grandparents during World War II:

My grandparents lived in a small town and they had a party line phone system. Several people were on the same phone line and there were different rings to distinguish who the calls were for so someone didn't pick up a call that wasn't for them. My grandfather was in Europe during the war and one day he was able to call home and speak to my grandmother. The next day, my grandmother was outside doing something and one of the neighbors came up to her and said, "it sure was good to hear Phil's voice again."

 

[Out of Order]

Nah, just more ways to be nosy...right now I reside in a real small river town that's not what one would exactly call, 'wired', but folks are 'connected', you know, smart(ish) phones and and such, and folks that don't even know me probably know what I had for supper yesterday.
Twenty five years ago I lived in somewhat the same kind of little river town, same river actually, and it was exactly the same kinda nosy Nellies....hmm, perhaps it's the river

Weiners....of course!

 

[arista]

I think part of it is because everyone is telling what they are doing on facebook, twitter and instagram. There is no more mystery about what a person is doing. Plus, making it seem ten times more interesting that what is actually happening.

 

[PatInTheHat]

Weiners....of course!

Ya know as much as I'd like to say, nuh-uhhh...
(hey I had a bratt, too...and only 64 more weenies, 28 smoked snausages, and 6 Holy Smoked Sausage Did I Eat That Whole Smoked Sausage, Smoked Sausage, monster snausage to go )

 

[doowopgirl]

I think people have always been more interested in what other people are up to than is good for them. Social media has made it easier to snoop and tell everyone what they've been up to.

 

[kingricefan]

People have always been nosy. Here is a story I love about my grandparents during World War II:

My grandparents lived in a small town and they had a party line phone system. Several people were on the same phone line and there were different rings to distinguish who the calls were for so someone didn't pick up a call that wasn't for them. My grandfather was in Europe during the war and one day he was able to call home and speak to my grandmother. The next day, my grandmother was outside doing something and one of the neighbors came up to her and said, "it sure was good to hear Phil's voice again."

We had a party line when we were kids growing up in rural Pennsylvania. If we were bored we would listen to others conversations for a minute or so. Nothing that adults talked about were of much interest to kids....

 

[PatInTheHat]

Ya know as much as I'd like to say, nuh-uhhh...
(hey I had a bratt, too...and only 64 more weenies, 28 smoked snausages, and 6 Holy Smoked Sausage Did I Eat That Whole Smoked Sausage, Smoked Sausage, monster snausage to go )

...63 weenies and 27 smoked snausages *erp* to go...edited for continuity, possibly incontinence...well you know, for the snoopy snoops

 

[Alexandra M]

I agree with arista and doowopgirl social media has made it easier and too, exaggeration is probably at an all time high.

 

[mal]

Yes. We've all been socially engineered to focus on the mundane so the big things can be pushed through quietly. Except for Kim Kardashian, she is to be admired for her...damn I couldn't think of anything.

 

[muskrat]

Yes, everybody wants to mind everyone else's business, especially mine, half the time. Like at work: most of us sit lined at our machines ( or standing, given whatever part or operation we're performing, whatever), and I'm a good soldier--head down, hands at work, busting ass-- but there's always THAT guy, you know the one, every time someone moves, gets up, blows his nose, spits a wad of chew, etc., THAT cat has to look up, checkout what yer up to. Every ***** time. Prarie Doggin, I call it--poppin up fer a nosy peak. But once they make eye contact, and I give em 'the look', they usually cool it...fer a day or so.

Now, however, being the big number Two, allatime I'm gettin the looks, like they're afraid or something. God, I wanna scream, quit lookin at me-- do yer frackin job. But I don't. Despite all the praire doggers and rubberneckers, I do my best to practice kindness, tolerance, all that gallant, zen Muskie ****e. Way I see, they're the ones with the problem. Pity them, hate them not.

p.s. As fer social media nosiness--that's why I've never did and never will do Facebook. Too much LOCAL exposure, for my tastes. Too many dangers to list at the moment, but give yez a fair example: coupla months ago, at a party at a buddy's house, said friend of mine pulled a bonehead rude, and stupid, move. Within minutes, his wife ex wife was calling, bitchin him out for a drunken swine. It seems his little prank was all over the wretched faceblech, within minutes of his having pulled his obnoxious shenanigan. None for me, thanx. I embarrass myself enough around here.

Dang, epic post. Sorry.