These 50 Pics Show How Dystopic Our Society Already Is, And Maybe They’ll Inspire You To Change Something
What comes to mind when you think of a dystopian universe? is it Dali-esque surrealist landscapes or is it a more realistic world like 'The Handmaidens Tale' or '1984.' Well, according to the late Brtish academic and cultural theorist Mark Fisher, we are already living in a present-day dystopian society and folks - it is very boring.
The term 'boring dystopia' was coined by Fisher in 2015 and refers to the subliminal coercion that abounds in a capitalist society. So subtle that unless you're looking, you might not realize these problems with society are actually already happening. Charlie Booker's Black Mirror is the closest fantasy depiction of this theory, with his episodes questioning how far is too far when it comes to our evolving technology and how close we are to the dystopian future.
However, for real-life examples of this theory, and social issues coming together with, it look no further than the sub-Reddit titled 'A Boring Dystopia,' which is dedicated to sharing images that are disturbingly unassuming. From the poster that reads "Sleep deprivation is your drug of choice. You might be a doer," or a bus passing by with bold black letters stating, "You don't need therapy you just need a new car," the following photos may make you question every society problem in a different light.
Scroll down below to see the Orwellian thread of signs on problems with the world!
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Peak Bureaucracy (Happened In Toronto)
Boring Dystopia
I Guess We Just Have To Get Used To This
Well, this is sad. But it's a description of "Better safe than sorry"
Drink Soda To Help Fight Diabetes
You Must Be Noteworthy To Take A Selfie At This Spot
Agreed! I don't think a lot of people really care about this ... thing! :D
Load More Replies...especially when Kim Kardashian is classed as one.....
Load More Replies...This was a publicity stunt by people behind 'Like and Subscribe' Twitter account (who themselves did not qualify now). Backlash and the fact that 'Like and Subscribe' is already a name of popular Youtube podcast apparently forced the account holders to fold. Oh, and in case you wonder, the mural was located at 7753 Melrose Ave, but it has been painted over by some street artist(s) shortly after the stunt.
No problem, you can use an editing program such as Photoshop to add a person's photo to it. Final-5b9b...7892c7.jpg
It was a satirical publicity stunt. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm8dwx/only-influencers-can-take-photos-at-this-la-mural-and-people-are-pissed
This looks like Venice! OMG, I need to move. This sucks. Venice used to be cool, all comers welcome. Now, it's gentrified beyond recognition. :-(
Someone should paint a similar wall and only let people with no friends, or less than 10 followers take a pic there...
How very LA of them! They are the most self centered people! They throw themselves multiple parties a year to celebrate themselves!
What a great way to use the tax payers money by not allowing them to take a picture by this mural that they paid for.
My god, this is an episode of Black Mirror. That show freaks me out because some of it is so true and happening now (some of it will happen in the future, I am sure of it!)
What are they going to do, guard it 24 hrs a day? And when they can't do that, will they paint over it? What a bunch of a$$holes.
My younger brother runs NUE Urban Arts and some of the murals that he has organised make this one look like a pile of excrement. seriously, they did some bus stops in the area and one got vandalised. EVERYONE was up in arms about the damage and only calmed down once it was repaired and restored. NUE (New Urban Era) has a facebook and twitter account
I think it's a wonderful bit of satire, not to mention creating a list of people to put at the front of the guillotine line when the revolution comes.
For anyone thinking the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive" was ridiculous....well, here it is. Holy shite this is disturbing.
Art should be available to everyone, not for advertising dollars.
What....!!!?? That is extremely unnecessary, I hope nobody goes there anymore.
Probably, the guard and the wall were part of the artistic concept, not the mural alone. Seems that the artist succeeded with igniting a discussion.
I dont know if this is the same as the pink selfie wall that was just vandalized but either way both are dumb. Just because i dont have 20,000 followers I have been an influencer as long as I can remember. I influence my children to get up everyday and make a better life for themselves and their family by doing the same, I influence others by trying to do always do the right thing and help others that need me.
Children are our future. Your's sound fortunate to have a parent like you.
Load More Replies...No way! This has to be part of some stunt. Like the pic on the right is a commentary of how social media obsessed we've become.
Don’t play into this with outrage. It’s clearly a marketing stunt. Tell someone they can’t do something and they’ll want to do it.
Private mural in public place. And now guarded. Only the wealthy and influence can have their pic. with it. I'm thinking take the mural down if it's not for everyone.
This is LA in a nutshell. It is the biggest fascade in the world. One of the worst places in the world I have ever visited and due mainly to the people who live there.
HAH! WHAT SORTA OF A DIABOLICAL NIGHTMARE HAS THE WORLD COME TO? *shudders*
So wrong and stupid! It makes my artist soul wince with the nauseating exclusivity of this practice- shame on the artist who agreed this was ok
I think it was part of the performance. The guard was probably part of the concept.
Load More Replies...Look At All That Freedom
Reminds me Henry Ford "A customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black”
The Only Way To Live
Healthcare Described In One Picture
Based on the ATM symbol ("bankomat" on yellow background with Raiffeisen logo) and the uniform of the paramedics it is from Croatia. The photo dates back to September 2016, and the Photographer's name is Sandra Krunic. The original title of this photo said something about American healthcare, which doesn't fit.
You Get 3 Minutes
Boring Dystopia
"How Can We Decorate Our Lobby To Look Refined While Still Being Utterly Devoid Of Character?"
And people who decided this didn't think that this would make a perfect joke?
"Anti-Homeless" Bench
Quick Reminder That We've Been At War For 17 Years. Sure, People Are Sent To Fight And Die Every Day, But It's Just Old News, Right?
Kurt Cobain Was Not Diagnosed With A Mental Illness And Leave A Suicide Note For It To Be Turned Into A Fashion Trend
American Airlines Announces Pay Raises For Pilots And Flight Attendants, And Investors Balk
Investors want to get all the money, while putting in none of the work. It's the workers' labor that creates value, which brings in the money. It makes sense they should be paid appropriately.
Mass Shootings Are Now So Frequent That President Trump Just Copies-And-Pastes His Condolences
Education For Your Kids? Not Important. Buy Our Expensive Car Instead
Trump's Official Survey Doesn't Include Any Negative Response Options
Teaching Kids To Read Via Logos
Boring Dystopia
Totally Normal And Fine
S**t Like This Just Happens Constantly Now
Liquidation Sale
not as bad as 'things to do before you die' why not 'things to do while you're still alive' much more positive.
Plastic, As God Made It
Didn't George Carlin say that the only reason Earth hasn't killed us is that it can't make plastic and needs us to do it?
Gun Show This Weekend
It's been documented that after a mass/school shooting, gun sales actually go up. How sick is that?
Teachers Gifted Supplies For Their Classrooms ...on A Talk Show
Late Stage Capitalism
Shouldn't the simple fact that you're out of blood, solve ALL your problems ? Including housing ? Just a tought
Be Happy
Yeah, if you don't smile, an exec will immediately bolt from his office and grin at the door for you :D
Life Is Beautiful
Jaywalkers Under Surveillance In Shenzhen Soon To Be Punished Via Text Messages
how is this surprising? did you really think they were developing this kind of technology just for your social photo tagging to be easier? come on.
Google Helps Its Sponsors Before Its Users
They Love It!
I Withdrew Some Cash And The Receipt Has The Most Dystopian Bloody Thing On It
I'm Sure The Sermen Drew Some Comparison With Following "False Prophets"
I don't think this challenge honor the Christ... Poor Him, it must be tiredsome to be loved by idiots.
Watch Live
Boring Dystopia
It’s Really Hard Watching Other People Live Out Your Dreams
You Don't Need Therapy
The Fortune In These Fortune Cookies
Bleeding You Dry
Giving your blood is a good thing, having no choice but selling your blood sucks
Aligned With The Holiday Spirit
And? This can be a police parking lot, military base, impound lot, a mint etc.
You've Heard Of Elf On The Shelf, Now Get Ready For
How America Ends
The Important News
It's an update. Bus probably fell from the cliff, crashed on a cemetery, and they are keeping the viewers up to date on how many victims they keep finding under the wreck. Chips look tasty though :D
Golden Fistbump
This Escorting Website Features A Live-Updated Student Debt Clock
Happiness Within Reach
Back To School Shopping
Facebook Served Me An Ad Inside Of A Private Chat
Their Main Concern Isn't Population Changes, It's Diaper Sales
Over 2 Million People Watched "Top 10 Teen Life Sentence Reactions" For Their Entertainment
Sadly enough, curiosity at the misfortune of others is part of life. In this case it’s some sort of guilt free entertainment because all the convicts were murderers and surely deserved that harsh punishment.
4 Ways Sexual Harassment Can Cost Us
This looks like it's aimed at management that ignores workers' bad conduct, because they happen to be good at their job or they just don't think it's a big deal. It makes sense the campaign would tackle the issue from this angle, as this is the only way to get through to these people. Still s****y, but I get it.
Protect The Dear Leader, Report Fake News
Hey Human, Wan't Cold And Clean Water? Subscribe For Just $1.99 A Month
Boring Dystopia
Correction: Cali: "Can you guys fight this fire? We can't pay you much and you won't be able to become a firefighter later. But it's completely voluntary." *People* in *Prison*: Yeah whatever we'll do it. Cali: We'll make sure you guys get credit on Twitter. PiP: Wouldn't it be dumb if people complained about that? Cali: Yeah that would be dumb, thanks guys.
Remember, Your Job Is W H O Y O U A R E
And it makes for s****y conversation when meeting people. "What do you do?" Zzzzzzzz. I'd much rather know what someone's hobby is or what they do to bring joy into their lives. Even if it's sports or religion, it's better than hearing about what one does to fund their fun.
Addiction Is The Most Powerful Tool For Workplace Productivity
A Breath Of Fresh Air At The Airport
This Student Loan Payment Site That Looks Like A Mobile Game...
This is a legitimate thing. This is Givling. By playing a trivia game and watching ads
Get Drunk, Go Shopping, Kill Yourself
Stories That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity. The First Two Are Ads
well one is called the hope detector, and the other is good odds??? it sounds nice?
Just Work Until You Die
H A P P I N E S S
Boring Dystopia
The British Army is one of the very few Armies in the World that still recruits child soldiers. The UK is one of only 19 countries worldwide to recruit 16-year-olds. Other countries that do so include North Korea, Iran and Syria. No other EU or Nato member state recruits 16-year-olds. Some 2,250 minors were recruited into the armed forces in the past 12 months. The army alone enlisted 1,000 16-year-olds. This makes 16-year-olds the single biggest age group entering the army. The army states that it uses the recruitment of minors as “an opportunity to mitigate standard entry shortfalls, particularly for the infantry”. This is worrying because the infantry has the highest fatality and injury rate of any branch of the armed forces. Child Soldiers International has found that soldiers who enlisted at 16 were twice as likely to die in Afghanistan as those who enlisted aged 18 or above
Found In The Chicago Tribune: "Brand Disputes Make Couples Unhappy"
Ridicolous. I don't care what brand whiskey my wife buys. As long as she's buying whiskey, I'm good.
The More You Consume The Happier You’ll Be
Boring Dystopia
This is not important all. In France, the nursery rythm and kid songs we teach to our kids are mostly creepy AF and it doesn't make them serial killers. There is nothing to get upset here. This isn't dystopian at all, it's just people trying to get attention with a story that is probably not even true.
The Cash For Gold Business Is Getting Into The Dystopian Market
That`s normal? Every shop that buys gold advertises that it includes gold teeth. At least here in Germany.
Now Kids Can Play And Learn About Consumerism
Mcdonalds Targeting Kids
McD's has been targeting kids since they opened. Their spokesman is a creepy clown after all.
Our Excessive Working Hours Prevent Our Employees Proper Amounts Of Sleep! Aren't We Quirky?
Start 'Em Young
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Load More Replies...Ok, I've seen a lot of comments on this post about how "America is the worst country". You think we LIKE having mass shootings every two minutes? You think we like having a president who puts immigrant kids in concentration camps? You think we like leading the charts in obesity? No. We don't especially like any of that. So please stop acting like the entirety of America is shooting each other in the head. Because we aren't. Only a few are.
If you don't like the state of things in the USA, get off your a*s and make sure that you are registered to vote. If not, go register! Do your homework on candidates, and cast an informed ballot in November. If you don't vote, you don't count.
Load More Replies...What I've learned in life, is that, the Earth is doomed. Whether humanity nukes itself or global warming kills us by 2100 with excess carbon dioxide, I've learned to just accept the time I have. Yes, I recycle and don't use plastic bags, I'm not a savage. But I've learned to appreciate and love life, before the world dies. And fight it anyway... you never know. Sorry for being negative.
This is the first post where I HAD to read through all the comments just to get the rest of the story.
These are just awful. I guess an up vote means they are awful-er than the others. But I wanted to down vote them. So sad.
I bookmarked this under Republicans. If you don't agree, please reconsider what Republican values, and their political platform really supports. Forgive me for stating the obvious, (to most readers I hope), but virtually everything they do is in support of big business, nothing more nothing less.
Bored Panda's showing their political bias a lot with this one......alienating half of your clientele should never be on the agenda, if you want to keep in business.
900 % of this post is nothing but political b******t- as i said repeatedly - eat s**t and die
I hear and read americans complains about their country, but I've been there once 10 years ago. It's a wonderful country. It have some problems but if i look at the big picture, USA is a huge amazing place where everything is possible. Americans that complain about this country, please come to live in my country for a while and then tell me what do you think about USA.
People complained when Obama was president, was that a fashion?
Load More Replies...This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Load More Replies...Ok, I've seen a lot of comments on this post about how "America is the worst country". You think we LIKE having mass shootings every two minutes? You think we like having a president who puts immigrant kids in concentration camps? You think we like leading the charts in obesity? No. We don't especially like any of that. So please stop acting like the entirety of America is shooting each other in the head. Because we aren't. Only a few are.
If you don't like the state of things in the USA, get off your a*s and make sure that you are registered to vote. If not, go register! Do your homework on candidates, and cast an informed ballot in November. If you don't vote, you don't count.
Load More Replies...What I've learned in life, is that, the Earth is doomed. Whether humanity nukes itself or global warming kills us by 2100 with excess carbon dioxide, I've learned to just accept the time I have. Yes, I recycle and don't use plastic bags, I'm not a savage. But I've learned to appreciate and love life, before the world dies. And fight it anyway... you never know. Sorry for being negative.
This is the first post where I HAD to read through all the comments just to get the rest of the story.
These are just awful. I guess an up vote means they are awful-er than the others. But I wanted to down vote them. So sad.
I bookmarked this under Republicans. If you don't agree, please reconsider what Republican values, and their political platform really supports. Forgive me for stating the obvious, (to most readers I hope), but virtually everything they do is in support of big business, nothing more nothing less.
Bored Panda's showing their political bias a lot with this one......alienating half of your clientele should never be on the agenda, if you want to keep in business.
900 % of this post is nothing but political b******t- as i said repeatedly - eat s**t and die
I hear and read americans complains about their country, but I've been there once 10 years ago. It's a wonderful country. It have some problems but if i look at the big picture, USA is a huge amazing place where everything is possible. Americans that complain about this country, please come to live in my country for a while and then tell me what do you think about USA.
People complained when Obama was president, was that a fashion?
Load More Replies...