I don't think this is fake or forced at all. It's just a necessary counteraction to the way the modern world is constructed. In the past, you'd maintain all of

I don't think this is fake or forced at all. It's just a necessary counteraction to the way the modern world is constructed. In the past, you'd maintain all of these weak social connections automatically, simply by going about your daily life. You'd talk to your coworkers daily, the baker/grocer/butcher a few times a week, neighbors weekly at the church, other citizens monthly at a town hall, and so on. You didn't need a system because it just happened naturally. These days, most of these situations have been removed. Workers change jobs every couple years (and can work remotely), most people barely speak to their neighbors, grocery stores are either huge and faceless or just have items delivered by an anonymous gig worker, town halls don't really exist, etc. If you think that social connections have value (and they almost always do), this is the rational move.