People feel way more distant socially after 2020. Less hanging out, fewer random conversations, and everyone just seems mentally exhausted now. It genuinely feels harder to connect with people compared to a few years ago.
44 comments
Its because our economy has shifted. I also think that a lot of cultural scandals and conflict is really injuring people’s empathy. We’re at an time high of culture conflict.
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. It’s undeniably true that COVID has been the most socially destructive turning point in my life.
People have become increasingly distant, and the rising costs of everything, coupled with the threat of job displacement due to AI, is taking a toll on individuals.
While I may not be the most analytical person, I believe there’s much more to this situation than what I’m fully aware of.
Agreed, I think it’s an increased sense of scarcity, rising distrust in our neighbors, stress about current events, and brain rot from information overload
it feels the exact same to me
im so tired and I assume everyone else is too.
Yep I feel the same
Yes, feeling the same.
Distant? More like nosier and inserting themselves into other people’s situations! I was at a restaurant talking among my table and people think we’re talking about them!
We are too afraid of each other, we’ve been this way for decades and have only gotten worse : (
As an outgoing social person who glowed up post covid. I have never felt so relieved to had been a weirdo during my teenage and young adult years lol.
A lot of people became disabled or have destroyed immune systems and have to depend on masking/being around people who are willing to mask. We are all also overworked and underpaid.
Absolutely! I always say the “vibe” is off.
Everyone wants a village but nobody has the energy to be a villager
They’ve gone feral.
Even before 2020 I operated with the mindset that just like respect, trust has to be earned. You don’t get it overnight, in my opinion. It also doesn’t help that past trauma gets in the way for me. Anytime that anyone does something that even slightly triggers me, my brain spirals in a heartbeat and if possible I run far away.
I’ve felt this also, like the whole world changed and it’s not the same as it was before.
Yes and I have nostalgia now.
I find in-ear noise-cancelling headphones contribute to this. When I get lost, I have a hard time getting anyone to even answer my basic questions because they all either don’t hear me – or pretend to not hear me.
Small talk in public spaces becomes impossible like that. Even things like asking “have you been waiting here long for the bus? Is it late?” becomes impossible!
It’s the phones, the apps, the internet bs, the memes. Reclaiming ourselves is fn getting rid of this wack shit. I’m in if you all are. Bc idk wtf anything is anymore.
I was in an abusive relationship during quarantine and I have honestly never been the same since then.
I can confidently say that the last 6 years have sucked ass
Even beyond the money Covid just fucked people’s brains long term
Not for me. 2020 was the best time of my life. I had so much fun
I don’t agree – everywhere I look- there is one social club starting or some kind of event. From dog clubs to dog mom clubs to coffee clubs or whatever
It wasnt COVID.
This was already starting to happen before COVID.
it was something else that needed time to grow and spread across multiple different generations and cultures.
it was smartphones + social media
I think it started earlier, I noticed people started being nastier with the economic collapse and bailouts in 2012. It definitely did get worse after 2020 however, it feels like Internet hostility has bled into daily life to the point it’s indistinguishable.
I agree, thought about it this week. Tbh it feels deeper than bad economy. Like everyone became socially anxious. I guess as an initially social anxious person I can see it as people around became more like me after 2020.
You are also older and so are they, I guess.
Random conversations? I’m from Germany and Sir, this is a Wendy’s
They are constantly searching for and refining ways to control our minds, to weaken our critical thinking, and to reduce our attention span to the point where we are no longer truly capable of thinking deeply, creating new ideas, or perceiving reality clearly.
It feels like a distortion of reality itself, almost like something out of Orwell. I can already feel its effects on myself, and I honestly do not want to imagine how much more damaging this would have been if I had grown up as a teenager in this environment. The problem is that making everything “easy” slowly destroys the mental process that comes from effort. We learn and understand things through obstacles, through reflection, through struggle, not by outsourcing every thought or opinion to ChatGPT or any other tool.
There is a deliberate overload of information, both true and false, combined with constant mental stimulation: notifications, noise, deadlines, distractions. All of this cuts through our ability to focus and concentrate but real reflection requires attention, silence, and the absence of constant stimulation. In that sense, time has truly become a luxury, almost a form of currency. Perhaps after the Second Industrial Revolution we were given only the illusion of freedom, and today we are beginning to realize that the myth of capitalism and personal wealth is, in many ways, a massive deception designed to enrich a small group of decision-makers.
Unfortunately, this is a philosophical, ethical, and historical issue. And yet, in universities/high schools around the world, the study of philosophy and history is being increasingly reduced or removed. How is this possible? How will future generations learn to think?
We need to do something to protect our welfare systems, especially in Europe. I honestly do not know how people in America accept the idea of having to pay enormous amounts of money simply to be treated when they are sick, but even the very concept of the State is changing.
These issues are far too complex to compress into a single comment, but we need to begin a personal and conscious revolution of the mind. We need to wake up from this sleep induced by social media, meaningless distractions, and constant noise. Each of us, in our own small way, must try to think independently, contribute something real to society, and help others. The next revolution will only have an impact if it is peaceful and based on collective awakening. We need to understand that we are all equal, and that our future should be focused on curing diseases, solving shared problems, and improving human life, not wasting time, energy and resources on pointless wars. A true awakening of consciousness can only begin within each individual but we also need to start a movement or at least create something that pushes people in that direction.
I think phones/social media plays a big part in this topic
2020 was a collective worldwide trauma for most people. it was interesting to observe, as my social anxiety went away, everyone else seemed to develop it.
I’m also curious if we ever looked into the long term effects of COVID on the brain, because the difference is massive.
Covid and inflation did a number on us
to me, it feels like most social activities happen online nowadays. I’ve also seen alot of people doing AI chatting, like not really to research stuff but to actually have a conversation. They have the AI play out a character.
I certainly do realize like a shift in my own mentality from pre-covid to post-covid. can 100% say I feel dumber compared to back then 💀
Wait till you see what they got planned for 2030 😩
Maybe we just grew older? 🤣
But that would be amazing if I could blame it on 2020. I never was social butterfly so I never noticed the change, but I can only say that before 2020 I was teenager and suddenly I’m adult, moved to another country where people already have formed friendships from their teenage years – so forming new friendships is actually a little bit harder. 🤣
I mean, if I were in my home country I would probably stick to my old friends group too.
It’s hard to not see the unbridled contempt and exploitation the wealthy and influential have toward the working class now. There used to be at least lip service to pretend society wasn’t a complete hellscape. Now just about everyone is struggling or has anxiety over the future and the simple pleasures of everyday life can’t make up for it. At least, this is my take on it.
Nah
Yes!
Social distancing..
The pandemic revealed what most people already knew, people suck. Philosophize all you want, down deep, people suck.
We all sat inside and had our behavior extensively tracked . There was actually a resistance to this at one point and we had to get the information about what was happening. So that was used to develop a learned behavior addiction .
COVID was the reason to stay still and consume the info. What made it worse was stressing people about dying and then saying it was an attack. It was for a shift and jump start in ” the internet of behavior” and it worked wonders for it. Basically jumpstarting it to light speed from its previous state where people actively resisted.
Then everything became a triggered style advertising with negative triggers being most effective. Covert measaging and fake social proof backed by bots to manipulate views and team up on truth , logical thinking and convincing people to do things they wouldn’t normally consider.
44 comments
Its because our economy has shifted. I also think that a lot of cultural scandals and conflict is really injuring people’s empathy. We’re at an time high of culture conflict.
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. It’s undeniably true that COVID has been the most socially destructive turning point in my life.
People have become increasingly distant, and the rising costs of everything, coupled with the threat of job displacement due to AI, is taking a toll on individuals.
While I may not be the most analytical person, I believe there’s much more to this situation than what I’m fully aware of.
Agreed, I think it’s an increased sense of scarcity, rising distrust in our neighbors, stress about current events, and brain rot from information overload
it feels the exact same to me
im so tired and I assume everyone else is too.
Yep I feel the same
Yes, feeling the same.
Distant? More like nosier and inserting themselves into other people’s situations! I was at a restaurant talking among my table and people think we’re talking about them!
We are too afraid of each other, we’ve been this way for decades and have only gotten worse : (
As an outgoing social person who glowed up post covid. I have never felt so relieved to had been a weirdo during my teenage and young adult years lol.
A lot of people became disabled or have destroyed immune systems and have to depend on masking/being around people who are willing to mask. We are all also overworked and underpaid.
Absolutely! I always say the “vibe” is off.
Everyone wants a village but nobody has the energy to be a villager
They’ve gone feral.
Even before 2020 I operated with the mindset that just like respect, trust has to be earned. You don’t get it overnight, in my opinion. It also doesn’t help that past trauma gets in the way for me. Anytime that anyone does something that even slightly triggers me, my brain spirals in a heartbeat and if possible I run far away.
I’ve felt this also, like the whole world changed and it’s not the same as it was before.
Yes and I have nostalgia now.
I find in-ear noise-cancelling headphones contribute to this. When I get lost, I have a hard time getting anyone to even answer my basic questions because they all either don’t hear me – or pretend to not hear me.
Small talk in public spaces becomes impossible like that. Even things like asking “have you been waiting here long for the bus? Is it late?” becomes impossible!
It’s the phones, the apps, the internet bs, the memes. Reclaiming ourselves is fn getting rid of this wack shit. I’m in if you all are. Bc idk wtf anything is anymore.
I was in an abusive relationship during quarantine and I have honestly never been the same since then.
I can confidently say that the last 6 years have sucked ass
Even beyond the money Covid just fucked people’s brains long term
Not for me. 2020 was the best time of my life. I had so much fun
I don’t agree – everywhere I look- there is one social club starting or some kind of event. From dog clubs to dog mom clubs to coffee clubs or whatever
It wasnt COVID.
This was already starting to happen before COVID.
it was something else that needed time to grow and spread across multiple different generations and cultures.
it was smartphones + social media
I think it started earlier, I noticed people started being nastier with the economic collapse and bailouts in 2012. It definitely did get worse after 2020 however, it feels like Internet hostility has bled into daily life to the point it’s indistinguishable.
I agree, thought about it this week. Tbh it feels deeper than bad economy. Like everyone became socially anxious. I guess as an initially social anxious person I can see it as people around became more like me after 2020.
You are also older and so are they, I guess.
Random conversations? I’m from Germany and Sir, this is a Wendy’s
They are constantly searching for and refining ways to control our minds, to weaken our critical thinking, and to reduce our attention span to the point where we are no longer truly capable of thinking deeply, creating new ideas, or perceiving reality clearly.
It feels like a distortion of reality itself, almost like something out of Orwell. I can already feel its effects on myself, and I honestly do not want to imagine how much more damaging this would have been if I had grown up as a teenager in this environment. The problem is that making everything “easy” slowly destroys the mental process that comes from effort. We learn and understand things through obstacles, through reflection, through struggle, not by outsourcing every thought or opinion to ChatGPT or any other tool.
There is a deliberate overload of information, both true and false, combined with constant mental stimulation: notifications, noise, deadlines, distractions. All of this cuts through our ability to focus and concentrate but real reflection requires attention, silence, and the absence of constant stimulation. In that sense, time has truly become a luxury, almost a form of currency. Perhaps after the Second Industrial Revolution we were given only the illusion of freedom, and today we are beginning to realize that the myth of capitalism and personal wealth is, in many ways, a massive deception designed to enrich a small group of decision-makers.
Unfortunately, this is a philosophical, ethical, and historical issue. And yet, in universities/high schools around the world, the study of philosophy and history is being increasingly reduced or removed. How is this possible? How will future generations learn to think?
We need to do something to protect our welfare systems, especially in Europe. I honestly do not know how people in America accept the idea of having to pay enormous amounts of money simply to be treated when they are sick, but even the very concept of the State is changing.
These issues are far too complex to compress into a single comment, but we need to begin a personal and conscious revolution of the mind. We need to wake up from this sleep induced by social media, meaningless distractions, and constant noise. Each of us, in our own small way, must try to think independently, contribute something real to society, and help others. The next revolution will only have an impact if it is peaceful and based on collective awakening. We need to understand that we are all equal, and that our future should be focused on curing diseases, solving shared problems, and improving human life, not wasting time, energy and resources on pointless wars. A true awakening of consciousness can only begin within each individual but we also need to start a movement or at least create something that pushes people in that direction.
I think phones/social media plays a big part in this topic
2020 was a collective worldwide trauma for most people. it was interesting to observe, as my social anxiety went away, everyone else seemed to develop it.
I’m also curious if we ever looked into the long term effects of COVID on the brain, because the difference is massive.
Covid and inflation did a number on us
to me, it feels like most social activities happen online nowadays. I’ve also seen alot of people doing AI chatting, like not really to research stuff but to actually have a conversation. They have the AI play out a character.
I certainly do realize like a shift in my own mentality from pre-covid to post-covid. can 100% say I feel dumber compared to back then 💀
Wait till you see what they got planned for 2030 😩
Maybe we just grew older? 🤣
But that would be amazing if I could blame it on 2020. I never was social butterfly so I never noticed the change, but I can only say that before 2020 I was teenager and suddenly I’m adult, moved to another country where people already have formed friendships from their teenage years – so forming new friendships is actually a little bit harder. 🤣
I mean, if I were in my home country I would probably stick to my old friends group too.
It’s hard to not see the unbridled contempt and exploitation the wealthy and influential have toward the working class now. There used to be at least lip service to pretend society wasn’t a complete hellscape. Now just about everyone is struggling or has anxiety over the future and the simple pleasures of everyday life can’t make up for it. At least, this is my take on it.
Nah
Yes!
Social distancing..
The pandemic revealed what most people already knew, people suck. Philosophize all you want, down deep, people suck.
We all sat inside and had our behavior extensively tracked . There was actually a resistance to this at one point and we had to get the information about what was happening. So that was used to develop a learned behavior addiction .
COVID was the reason to stay still and consume the info. What made it worse was stressing people about dying and then saying it was an attack. It was for a shift and jump start in ” the internet of behavior” and it worked wonders for it. Basically jumpstarting it to light speed from its previous state where people actively resisted.
Then everything became a triggered style advertising with negative triggers being most effective. Covert measaging and fake social proof backed by bots to manipulate views and team up on truth , logical thinking and convincing people to do things they wouldn’t normally consider.
Couldn’t agree more with your statement.
It’s the phones.