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Alternative viewpoint: Everyone is hyper-stimulated by modern entertainment and lovable hobbies, therefore making friends at work is becoming harder to do becau

Alternative viewpoint: Everyone is hyper-stimulated by modern entertainment and lovable hobbies, therefore making friends at work is becoming harder to do because we're all bifurcated in our free time. Our interests used to be more basic, more shared, our community was tighter knit. Now, I feel the Internet and consumerism has allowed a massive blossoming of new hobbies, DIY, go it your own way, hang out by yourself activities. Either that, or something like online gaming, where you're finding a digital community. Especially during the pandemic, I became very used to hanging out with only my partner, and I think our bubble has amplified my introverted habits.

pkdpic_y9k 5y ago
Thats a really good point.
wussboy 5y ago
I think there's a lot of truth in your comment. I mentioned this elsewhere but as we hang out with the same people, our interests begin to align. This is what has always happened in the past and will hopefully happen again once we've realized that the Internet is death to sociality.
- cauliflower2718 5y ago
  Yes! I have found this to happen a over lockdown with my housemates. Not surprisingly, I recommend communal living.
tachyonbeam 5y ago
The pandemic is a bit different from what was before because we're not really given a choice. That being said, I agree, and I think it's not just hobbies. If you think about music, Spotify exposes people to much wider array of choices than what was there before. It used to be that people had a common cultural thread through the radio and television. Now, you can find your own niche community online, and listen to very niche music customized to your very specific preferences on Spotify. Even porn is getting increasingly niche. I find that often, even friends who like similar music genres to mine don't really appreciate tunes I share with them, because everyone has diverged so much. Politics are getting super divisive too, with no tolerance for different viewpoints. I'm not sure what's the antidote to that. I do think that in many ways, technology is driving people apart, and I'm afraid we're headed the way of Japan (hikikomori). I think some people will choose to remain socially active and others will withdraw. At some level, interacting with other human beings is challenging, it takes effort, you have to want to do it.
axaxs 5y ago
I agree, but it's been the case for a long time, and directly correlated to the propagation of the cell phone. I remember I went to a summer camp at college some 20+ years ago now. It was a blast, and I made a ton of friends because it was just pretty boring if you weren't forcing yourself to be out and about. By the time I went to college for real, anticipating the same experience, I was rather rudely awakened. Everyone was on their phone at any time, so it was less natural to strike up a conversation with someone. And this was -before- the Iphone, so I imagine it's even worse today.

pkdpic_y9k 5y ago

Thats a really good point.

wussboy 5y ago

I think there's a lot of truth in your comment. I mentioned this elsewhere but as we hang out with the same people, our interests begin to align. This is what has always happened in the past and will hopefully happen again once we've realized that the Internet is death to sociality.

cauliflower2718 5y ago
Yes! I have found this to happen a over lockdown with my housemates. Not surprisingly, I recommend communal living.

tachyonbeam 5y ago

The pandemic is a bit different from what was before because we're not really given a choice. That being said, I agree, and I think it's not just hobbies. If you think about music, Spotify exposes people to much wider array of choices than what was there before. It used to be that people had a common cultural thread through the radio and television. Now, you can find your own niche community online, and listen to very niche music customized to your very specific preferences on Spotify. Even porn is getting increasingly niche. I find that often, even friends who like similar music genres to mine don't really appreciate tunes I share with them, because everyone has diverged so much. Politics are getting super divisive too, with no tolerance for different viewpoints. I'm not sure what's the antidote to that. I do think that in many ways, technology is driving people apart, and I'm afraid we're headed the way of Japan (hikikomori). I think some people will choose to remain socially active and others will withdraw. At some level, interacting with other human beings is challenging, it takes effort, you have to want to do it.

axaxs 5y ago

I agree, but it's been the case for a long time, and directly correlated to the propagation of the cell phone. I remember I went to a summer camp at college some 20+ years ago now. It was a blast, and I made a ton of friends because it was just pretty boring if you weren't forcing yourself to be out and about. By the time I went to college for real, anticipating the same experience, I was rather rudely awakened. Everyone was on their phone at any time, so it was less natural to strike up a conversation with someone. And this was -before- the Iphone, so I imagine it's even worse today.