My grandparents always said that about the internet. They were right. Right for the wrong reasons, but still right.
I blame the smartphone myself. When the internet quit being something you go to and instead something you were always connected to everywhere, it started going downhill fast. Social media became something too easy to do, just snap a pic and blast it to the world. It's all so impersonal and people get so addicted to it. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the technology and it's been great to strengthen relationships that started in person as a better way to keep in touch. I'll kill the connected-anywhere smartphone and social media in a blink though, and wouldn't miss that part at all.
No, it's the opposite direction. It's because the real world is largely shit.
The reason it really picked up is that you don't have to see the swarms of immigrants or deal with traffic. People aren't choosing social media over vacations or even nice outings, they're choosing it over going to the shitty overpriced bar or restaurant which just microwaves food.
The sad truth of this is it seems that bars and restaurants have become the pinnacle of adult socialization. I don't really like bars and drinking that much, and it's definitely a pain to try to find other things. Then the Covid clown world killed off some of it even more.
The last century has been a long tumble down of "if you aren't drinking while doing it, its not fun." And the last half century or so added "if you aren't getting high instead then its no good."
Like, nearly every non-hobby socialization revolves around either alcohol, drugs, or food for most people. And nobody seems to recognize that is a problem.
My grandparents always said that about the internet. They were right. Right for the wrong reasons, but still right.
I blame the smartphone myself. When the internet quit being something you go to and instead something you were always connected to everywhere, it started going downhill fast. Social media became something too easy to do, just snap a pic and blast it to the world. It's all so impersonal and people get so addicted to it. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the technology and it's been great to strengthen relationships that started in person as a better way to keep in touch. I'll kill the connected-anywhere smartphone and social media in a blink though, and wouldn't miss that part at all.
No, it's the opposite direction. It's because the real world is largely shit.
The reason it really picked up is that you don't have to see the swarms of immigrants or deal with traffic. People aren't choosing social media over vacations or even nice outings, they're choosing it over going to the shitty overpriced bar or restaurant which just microwaves food.
The sad truth of this is it seems that bars and restaurants have become the pinnacle of adult socialization. I don't really like bars and drinking that much, and it's definitely a pain to try to find other things. Then the Covid clown world killed off some of it even more.
The last century has been a long tumble down of "if you aren't drinking while doing it, its not fun." And the last half century or so added "if you aren't getting high instead then its no good."
Like, nearly every non-hobby socialization revolves around either alcohol, drugs, or food for most people. And nobody seems to recognize that is a problem.