The Commodification of Reality

  • Thread starter Punp
  • Start date
  • This thread has been viewed 1273 times.

Punp

3D/2D artist
Gold
Joined
Aug 4, 2022
Messages
881
Reaction score
3,172
Awards
233
Website
punp.neocities.org
Ask not what you can do for reality, but what your concept of reality isn't doing for you.

My friend sent me a screenshot lately of an ad he got on Twitter, and it perfectly illustrates a recurring thought I've had lately (text continues after image):

Screenshot_20221107-150321_Twitter.jpg


I've noticed more and more that people's expectations of reality are being warped by media, advertising and AI. As more artificial imagery is created of basic concepts in the world, like lions and elephants and in this case, women, the perception of what the general populace expects from those things becomes further distorted.

Porn is the usual go-to for women's rights activists who have a very basic understanding that porn=bad, but I think there is a much more concerning issue with the stories people tell themselves and allow AI techbros to tell us. I'm reminded of the incel argument of mandatory partners. I've been out in large public spaces recently and I can safely report back that maybe less than 5-10% of the public are anyone you would want to interact with, let alone have sex with. The mandatory partners meme is mostly supported by this forever online fantasy of all women being "the perfect e-girls", circulated within these communities.

Is this a trend you've noticed? Am I completely wrong? Are there other aspects at work here other than the messy evolution of human narrative?
 
Virtual Cafe Awards
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
3,055
Reaction score
25,451
Awards
352
Ask not what you can do for reality, but what your concept of reality isn't doing for you.

My friend sent me a screenshot lately of an ad he got on Twitter, and it perfectly illustrates a recurring thought I've had lately (text continues after image):

View attachment 42706

I've noticed more and more that people's expectations of reality are being warped by media, advertising and AI. As more artificial imagery is created of basic concepts in the world, like lions and elephants and in this case, women, the perception of what the general populace expects from those things becomes further distorted.

Porn is the usual go-to for women's rights activists who have a very basic understanding that porn=bad, but I think there is a much more concerning issue with the stories people tell themselves and allow AI techbros to tell us. I'm reminded of the incel argument of mandatory partners. I've been out in large public spaces recently and I can safely report back that maybe less than 5-10% of the public are anyone you would want to interact with, let alone have sex with. The mandatory partners meme is mostly supported by this forever online fantasy of all women being "the perfect e-girls", circulated within these communities.

Is this a trend you've noticed? Am I completely wrong? Are there other aspects at work here other than the messy evolution of human narrative?
At least they are aware of their public.
1667835281960.png
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

NeoTokyo Tempo

Active Traveler
Joined
Aug 21, 2018
Messages
155
Reaction score
602
Awards
76
You know a meme is dead when it gets used to sell you sex bots. This is basically the classic meme of your boomer dad being right. You probably are buried in that phone too much. It'll rot your brain. You need to be able to detach. This is why I don't have apps on my phone. Limiting my web usage to a computer limits the amount of time I spend on the internet.

The problem of electric brain rot is even effecting old people now. Everyone who shops at my store uses an app that gives them personalized offers. They're allowing a computer to tell them what to eat. It's kind of sickening. I use machines to do my bidding. I am in control of the machines I own. My machines don't control me, but most people are completely fine with watching ads on their algorithm fed youtube feed (I use rss to watch youtube). The idea of tolerating this kind of crap is beyond me.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

RussiaSushi

Russia Sushi Delcious and Cheap
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
12
Reaction score
17
Awards
4
I do see how AI and marketing, as you mentioned, might alter people's perspectives, which is why I find internet privacy to be so vital in the present world.
As you can see, if we weren't affected, the Cambridge Analytica scandal wouldn't have been as significant. I also think that setting limits on your use of social media is important, but I don't see this trend taking off anytime soon. Instead of making you the tool for social media manipulation, dopamine overdose, and addiction through upcummies, computers and phones should be used as the tools they are.

I agree with what your saying, as a 20-year-old male, there is increasing social pressure to either not be alone or, if you are, to actively seek a partner since being alone for an extended period makes you an "incel". You are also expected to use dating apps, which are the most evil form of social media I have come across. There is evidence that these services use fake accounts if you are, for example, an unpopular male to keep you on their applications, chasing the dragon.. and thats just the start of it...
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

ignika98

Porn writer and wife beater.
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Messages
163
Reaction score
535
Awards
68
Website
bit.ly
The problem isn't that people are watching porn or using AI chat bots, it's that they AREN'T having real sex and getting real girlfriends. If you have real world experience with these things, it's a lot harder to have your expectations warped by things you see online.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

RussiaSushi

Russia Sushi Delcious and Cheap
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
12
Reaction score
17
Awards
4
The problem isn't that people are watching porn or using AI chat bots, it's that they AREN'T having real sex and getting real girlfriends. If you have real world experience with these things, it's a lot harder to have your expectations warped by things you see online.
I agree that individuals lack real world experience, but don't you think this is due to the fact that most people today believe using dating apps and social media or going out drinking and clubbing are the best ways to gain these experiences? People's perception is that they must enter these partnerships quickly owing to social pressure is the growing problem. I agree that porn itself isn't the issue, but i think certain people's lack of self control is what can lead to these issues. The same may be said for people's lack of self control with other vices like alcohol and cigarettes, which are not necessarily evil but can be abused but that is a whole other argument I guess.

However, i Believe that if someone is serious and has a genuine goal to go out dating or obtain real-world experience, they could but they know they can just gain the temporary pleasure short term that instant instead of putting in the work for a real relationship that would most likely do them better in the long term.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Punp

3D/2D artist
Gold
Joined
Aug 4, 2022
Messages
881
Reaction score
3,172
Awards
233
Website
punp.neocities.org
The problem isn't that people are watching porn or using AI chat bots, it's that they AREN'T having real sex and getting real girlfriends. If you have real world experience with these things, it's a lot harder to have your expectations warped by things you see online.
Yes, however it also drives doubt into existing relationships. "My wife and I aren't having sex six times a week, we must be abnormal" is a common one you see normies leave as comments.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

ignika98

Porn writer and wife beater.
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Messages
163
Reaction score
535
Awards
68
Website
bit.ly
I agree that individuals lack real world experience, but don't you think this is due to the fact that most people today believe using dating apps and social media or going out drinking and clubbing are the best ways to gain these experiences? People's perception is that they must enter these partnerships quickly owing to social pressure is the growing problem. I agree that porn itself isn't the issue, but i think certain people's lack of self control is what can lead to these issues. The same may be said for people's lack of self control with other vices like alcohol and cigarettes, which are not necessarily evil but can be abused but that is a whole other argument I guess.

However, i Believe that if someone is serious and has a genuine goal to go out dating or obtain real-world experience, they could but they know they can just gain the temporary pleasure short term that instant instead of putting in the work for a real relationship that would most likely do them better in the long term.
Going out drinking and clubbing were always things people did to get girls, even before the internet and dating apps. When you're young you don't want to spend months getting to know a girl before deciding to settle down with her. It's perfectly normal.
Yes, however it also drives doubt into existing relationships. "My wife and I aren't having sex six times a week, we must be abnormal" is a common one you see normies leave as comments.
If a man can be convinced that if he's not having sex with his wife six times a week he's abnormal, then perhaps he deserves to lose his relationship.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Fairykang

Cybernetic Esotericist
Joined
Dec 26, 2021
Messages
209
Reaction score
468
Awards
70
Internet Insanity –

Type 1: Psychiatric Illness

Someone who is already insane having their symptoms aggravated by online use.

Examples:
Bipolar individuals posting their mania induced messiah complexes online.
Schizophrenics believing every post they read is directed at them.

Type 2: Psychological

Individual's view of reality becoming pathologized.

Example:
People believing their worldview is the standard and generally accepted from spending too much time in political echo chambers online.

Interesting parallel is that the thoughts and behaviors of paranoid schizophrenics and conspiracy theorists are the same even though the former is type 1 and the latter type 2.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

ignika98

Porn writer and wife beater.
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Messages
163
Reaction score
535
Awards
68
Website
bit.ly
Type 2: Psychological

Individual's view of reality becoming pathologized.

Example:
People believing their worldview is the standard and generally accepted from spending too much time in political echo chambers online.
Just say trannies lmao
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

RussiaSushi

Russia Sushi Delcious and Cheap
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
12
Reaction score
17
Awards
4
Going out drinking and clubbing were always things people did to get girls, even before the internet and dating apps. When you're young you don't want to spend months getting to know a girl before deciding to settle down with her. It's perfectly normal.
I didn't mean to imply that drinking and going to clubs never happened or that doing so is inherently bad. I'm attempting to show how many normies, especially from my generation, think that these are the only methods for dating or even just looking for sex.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Pacing Tape

Idealistic Pillock
Bronze
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
68
Reaction score
149
Awards
35
Website
pacing-tape.itch.io
I agree that individuals lack real world experience, but don't you think this is due to the fact that most people today believe using dating apps and social media or going out drinking and clubbing are the best ways to gain these experiences? People's perception is that they must enter these partnerships quickly owing to social pressure is the growing problem. I agree that porn itself isn't the issue, but i think certain people's lack of self control is what can lead to these issues. The same may be said for people's lack of self control with other vices like alcohol and cigarettes, which are not necessarily evil but can be abused but that is a whole other argument I guess.

However, i Believe that if someone is serious and has a genuine goal to go out dating or obtain real-world experience, they could but they know they can just gain the temporary pleasure short term that instant instead of putting in the work for a real relationship that would most likely do them better in the long term.
From my perspective, a large part of the problem is how the internet, and dating apps/social media in particular, emphasize and exacerbate the problem. People are afraid to take chances, afraid to socialize without their phone's aid, and unwilling to consider alternative options. I see this as part of a larger trend, if not caused by the advent of mobile phones, heavily influenced and worsened by it. This issue is present in things as basic as posture, how people socialize, political polarization, etc. It's present anywhere you can find other people. As a group, (Americans) tend to lean forward and down. We don't walk upright anymore; we have hunched backs. We text more than we call, we call more than we talk in person, so on, and so forth.

This trend is observable in every aspect of American daily life. Now, we have companies attempting to sell us farcical, ersatz versions of reality. AI girlfriends and chatbots, an app for everything, advertisements in the fucking sky. The continued normalization of online-exclusive interaction is because it is easier. That's the most base part of the problem. People are inclined to take the easy way out. "I don't have to approach someone and strike up a conversation to get laid? Sweet.", "I can just get a robot girlfriend, I don't have to improve myself and find someone that likes me? Great. Works for me." While there are obviously people that still go out clubbing, that walk up to people to ask them out, it's all easier online, without the terrifying ordeal of being suave or trying to be presentable when you can just text real good and have "rizz." Take the recent decline of trick or treaters. Parents are moving towards the more sheltered "Trunk-or-Treating" so they don't have to go out in the cold with their kids and can just fill up the back of their car and pretend it's the same. In my opinion, the problem is risk-aversion. People are too afraid to be vulnerable when the internet is there, the company will make you a robot girlfriend, and so on.

You've got to learn to be vulnerable. That's the solution. I don't really know what to do about the problem en-masse, but individually it's pretty simple.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

RussiaSushi

Russia Sushi Delcious and Cheap
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
12
Reaction score
17
Awards
4
From my perspective, a large part of the problem is how the internet, and dating apps/social media in particular, emphasize and exacerbate the problem. People are afraid to take chances, afraid to socialize without their phone's aid, and unwilling to consider alternative options. I see this as part of a larger trend, if not caused by the advent of mobile phones, heavily influenced and worsened by it. This issue is present in things as basic as posture, how people socialize, political polarization, etc. It's present anywhere you can find other people. As a group, (Americans) tend to lean forward and down. We don't walk upright anymore; we have hunched backs. We text more than we call, we call more than we talk in person, so on, and so forth.

This trend is observable in every aspect of American daily life. Now, we have companies attempting to sell us farcical, ersatz versions of reality. AI girlfriends and chatbots, an app for everything, advertisements in the fucking sky. The continued normalization of online-exclusive interaction is because it is easier. That's the most base part of the problem. People are inclined to take the easy way out. "I don't have to approach someone and strike up a conversation to get laid? Sweet.", "I can just get a robot girlfriend, I don't have to improve myself and find someone that likes me? Great. Works for me." While there are obviously people that still go out clubbing, that walk up to people to ask them out, it's all easier online, without the terrifying ordeal of being suave or trying to be presentable when you can just text real good and have "rizz." Take the recent decline of trick or treaters. Parents are moving towards the more sheltered "Trunk-or-Treating" so they don't have to go out in the cold with their kids and can just fill up the back of their car and pretend it's the same. In my opinion, the problem is risk-aversion. People are too afraid to be vulnerable when the internet is there, the company will make you a robot girlfriend, and so on.

You've got to learn to be vulnerable. That's the solution. I don't really know what to do about the problem en-masse, but individually it's pretty simple.
I completely agree, Louis Rossman does a decent video on this and sorta relates to this topic:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tGjCrj8SWo
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Shantotto

TTD Militia
Joined
Jul 13, 2022
Messages
163
Reaction score
587
Awards
81
From my perspective, a large part of the problem is how the internet, and dating apps/social media in particular, emphasize and exacerbate the problem. People are afraid to take chances, afraid to socialize without their phone's aid, and unwilling to consider alternative options. I see this as part of a larger trend, if not caused by the advent of mobile phones, heavily influenced and worsened by it. This issue is present in things as basic as posture, how people socialize, political polarization, etc. It's present anywhere you can find other people. As a group, (Americans) tend to lean forward and down. We don't walk upright anymore; we have hunched backs. We text more than we call, we call more than we talk in person, so on, and so forth.

This trend is observable in every aspect of American daily life. Now, we have companies attempting to sell us farcical, ersatz versions of reality. AI girlfriends and chatbots, an app for everything, advertisements in the fucking sky. The continued normalization of online-exclusive interaction is because it is easier. That's the most base part of the problem. People are inclined to take the easy way out. "I don't have to approach someone and strike up a conversation to get laid? Sweet.", "I can just get a robot girlfriend, I don't have to improve myself and find someone that likes me? Great. Works for me." While there are obviously people that still go out clubbing, that walk up to people to ask them out, it's all easier online, without the terrifying ordeal of being suave or trying to be presentable when you can just text real good and have "rizz." Take the recent decline of trick or treaters. Parents are moving towards the more sheltered "Trunk-or-Treating" so they don't have to go out in the cold with their kids and can just fill up the back of their car and pretend it's the same. In my opinion, the problem is risk-aversion. People are too afraid to be vulnerable when the internet is there, the company will make you a robot girlfriend, and so on.

You've got to learn to be vulnerable. That's the solution. I don't really know what to do about the problem en-masse, but individually it's pretty simple.
less competition, im not complaining.

but this is 100% true from my anecdotal experience
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Orlando Smooth

Well-Known Traveler
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Messages
445
Reaction score
1,654
Awards
136
"I don't have to approach someone and strike up a conversation to get laid? Sweet.", "I can just get a robot girlfriend, I don't have to improve myself and find someone that likes me? Great. Works for me."
Pathetic - who the fuck says something like this? If anyone actually does, they deserve their fate. The only people I've ever known who wound up in these situations did so out of desperation/lack of alternatives, not because they actually thought it was a viable alternative.
While there are obviously people that still go out clubbing, that walk up to people to ask them out, it's all easier online
It's also easier to fail. In real life, you can get a view of likely outcomes before you even engage and also gauge effectiveness in real time. Real life is precision, "we made eye contact across the bar, she smiled, she accepted the drink I sent her, now I'll talk to her," while online is the definition of "throw it at the wall and see what sticks."
You've got to learn to be vulnerable. That's the solution. I don't really know what to do about the problem en-masse, but individually it's pretty simple.
This is it. All of it. Maybe it's because I'm not Gen Z, but I just do not get it. Why the hell are the kids that grew up in frankly some of the safest/easiest conditions in recent history so god damn afraid of EVERYTHING? Old man yells at the sky, sure, but I really truly want to know why it is that kids live in such fear of everything. The obvious first answer is "the internet" but I refuse to believe that that's 100% of the explanation.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Pacing Tape

Idealistic Pillock
Bronze
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
68
Reaction score
149
Awards
35
Website
pacing-tape.itch.io
Pathetic - who the fuck says something like this? If anyone actually does, they deserve their fate. The only people I've ever known who wound up in these situations did so out of desperation/lack of alternatives, not because they actually thought it was a viable alternative.

It's also easier to fail. In real life, you can get a view of likely outcomes before you even engage and also gauge effectiveness in real time. Real life is precision, "we made eye contact across the bar, she smiled, she accepted the drink I sent her, now I'll talk to her," while online is the definition of "throw it at the wall and see what sticks."

This is it. All of it. Maybe it's because I'm not Gen Z, but I just do not get it. Why the hell are the kids that grew up in frankly some of the safest/easiest conditions in recent history so god damn afraid of EVERYTHING? Old man yells at the sky, sure, but I really truly want to know why it is that kids live in such fear of everything. The obvious first answer is "the internet" but I refuse to believe that that's 100% of the explanation.
I'll say that the paraphrases in my post were meant to be dramatized and that was more to make the sentiment clear.

As a Zoomer myself, I do get the sentiment of not wanting to take risks and try talking to people and I struggle a lot with being anxious about approaching new people, but I still try. (quick sidenote, almost everyone I know is on some sort of medication and I find it disturbing. I understand the proven positives of these things, but at some point you have to be willing to try something else, especially when your mental condition isn't getting any better.) The thing that frustrates me is that so many people my age just do not fucking respond to it. My entire life I have enjoyed talking to people older than me far more than anyone my age. I haven't thought about it enough to really get a pin on the underlying reason behind it, but it's something about just not communicating the same way I think. Maybe I'm the weird one, but it still frustrates me how weird people get about fucking talking to people.

As for the last bit, I think the fear is an inherent result of the conditioning provided by an ultra safe environment. Students all the way up to the college level are unwilling to take risks, to try new shit and to accept alternative viewpoints. Best I can tell, this is not necessarily a result of the internet, but it has been a massive boon to it. Parents are seeing videos, news, and articles on how many kids get kidnapped each year, on why your kids need x, y, and z medication to work right, so on, and so forth. It's pissed me off more and more as I've begun to notice it. Kids aren't allowed to take risks anymore. My previous school was built like a panopticon. My current one has a police officer on site 100% of the day. There is no wiggle room in the education system for kids to be stupid and do dumb shit anymore. I've talked to people who had every bathroom in their school locked up because they didn't want kids vaping in it. This is all a part of a larger social trend, (at least in America) pushing away from the founding ideal of Liberty. It goes hand in hand with the expansion of the corporate world. I don't want to just point to some grand conspiracy by mega-corporations like Blackrock and the Alphabet Group, but no matter who is at fault, it feels awful to have the freedom to just fuck up stripped away in the prime years for mistake making and personal growth.

TLDR: the internet is just a tool that worsens an already existing problem caused by the lack of personal freedom, especially in the lives of younger generations.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Pacing Tape

Idealistic Pillock
Bronze
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
68
Reaction score
149
Awards
35
Website
pacing-tape.itch.io
I completely agree, Louis Rossman does a decent video on this and sorta relates to this topic:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tGjCrj8SWo

This was, in multiple ways, the perfect video to respond with. He touches on and gets to the surface level of some excellent points. What Louis is talking about, and the buzzword that he's missing is Connection. Meaningful, articulate, connection. That is the key element lacking in online dating, and in "hookup culture" as a whole.

More and more what I'm seeing online is other men, and less often, women, who are dejected over dating nowadays. Everyone just wants to fuck, or wants to be friends with benefits, or a situationship, or looks at you funny when you "catch feels." Naturally, this whole setup leaves a lot to be desired for people who want true romantic intimacy, not a friend that goes and fucks other people every other day of the week. People want exclusivity, not sloppy seconds.

The other thing Louis mentioned that I appreciated was his advice of living your best life; "cleaning up your corner of the world" and such. The thing that people, (and not just in a romantic way) are attracted to is assuredness of self. I remember seeing a picture online that showed the 3 types of men in the dating world. (Often interpreted as stages.) These are: the softer, inexperienced and naive, who can be mistreated, abused, or walked all over with little complaint. This is most often the first place a man ends up when he starts dating. Second is the more callous, sexual, and sometimes downright cruel man. He is the personification of hookup culture. There is, on some level, a desire for intimate connection, but the culture, stigma, and his own sexual desires keep him in this stage. Finally is the assured, truly masculine man. He is neither weak nor overpowering. This is maturity. Realizing that you must be strong and have character and personality to be a desirable partner, and have the tenderness and willing to love necessary to being a good one. Naturally, these are both theoretical, and more loosey-goosey than I'm making them out to be. But my point here, especially as it relates to Louis' video, is that this third man is self-assured. He is living his life, and as he goes about that, meeting people, and women, that he will go on to create intimate and strong connections with. This is how you actually meet someone and fall in love. I noticed that when I stopped actively pursuing women and when I just lived my life, and was myself, that the opportunity to create connection with members of the fairer sex arose far more often than it did when I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to find a date.

At the end of the day, just try to deepen your connection with those around you. Hookup culture is not the be all end all of relationships for the current generation. (Much as it may feel like it sometimes.) When you become mature and know what you want from your life, you will become desirable. Simple as that.
 
Last edited:
Virtual Cafe Awards

Orlando Smooth

Well-Known Traveler
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Messages
445
Reaction score
1,654
Awards
136
I'll say that the paraphrases in my post were meant to be dramatized and that was more to make the sentiment clear.

As a Zoomer myself, I do get the sentiment of not wanting to take risks and try talking to people and I struggle a lot with being anxious about approaching new people, but I still try. (quick sidenote, almost everyone I know is on some sort of medication and I find it disturbing. I understand the proven positives of these things, but at some point you have to be willing to try something else, especially when your mental condition isn't getting any better.) The thing that frustrates me is that so many people my age just do not fucking respond to it. My entire life I have enjoyed talking to people older than me far more than anyone my age. I haven't thought about it enough to really get a pin on the underlying reason behind it, but it's something about just not communicating the same way I think. Maybe I'm the weird one, but it still frustrates me how weird people get about fucking talking to people.

As for the last bit, I think the fear is an inherent result of the conditioning provided by an ultra safe environment. Students all the way up to the college level are unwilling to take risks, to try new shit and to accept alternative viewpoints. Best I can tell, this is not necessarily a result of the internet, but it has been a massive boon to it. Parents are seeing videos, news, and articles on how many kids get kidnapped each year, on why your kids need x, y, and z medication to work right, so on, and so forth. It's pissed me off more and more as I've begun to notice it. Kids aren't allowed to take risks anymore. My previous school was built like a panopticon. My current one has a police officer on site 100% of the day. There is no wiggle room in the education system for kids to be stupid and do dumb shit anymore. I've talked to people who had every bathroom in their school locked up because they didn't want kids vaping in it. This is all a part of a larger social trend, (at least in America) pushing away from the founding ideal of Liberty. It goes hand in hand with the expansion of the corporate world. I don't want to just point to some grand conspiracy by mega-corporations like Blackrock and the Alphabet Group, but no matter who is at fault, it feels awful to have the freedom to just fuck up stripped away in the prime years for mistake making and personal growth.

TLDR: the internet is just a tool that worsens an already existing problem caused by the lack of personal freedom, especially in the lives of younger generations.
Well, props to you for trying at least. It's stuff like this that really does make me wonder just how long it will be until the pendulum swings. To extend the metaphor, I feel like I must've come of age near the midpoint. As I written about here before, my parents went to school in a time and place where it was entirely normal for kids to bring guns to school on a regular basis. Then I hear about what goes on in school now adays and it truly does sound closer to jail than school. I was in the middle somewhere, where we had security in the school that consisted of old retired dudes that basically just made sure people coming through the front door were on the up and up. I was allowed to run around in the woods with my friends as long as the sun was up at age ~10 or so, and often snuck out after dark anyways. The older I get the more I doubt I was as sneaky as I thought I was while sneaking out, and that my parents knew but didn't bother to do anything.

You can bet your bottom dollar that when the time comes that I have kids, they will have designated unsupervised time to screw around and do the things kids are supposed to do. My only fear is that they wouldn't take advantage of such a thing.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards