This is just an article about people who never learned that skill. Is it? I read part and skimmed part, admittedly, but I got the impression this was just an a

This is just an article about people who never learned that skill. Is it? I read part and skimmed part, admittedly, but I got the impression this was just an article portraying a particular subculture, one the author wasn't not at all fond of. The author seems to actually take the opposite of your tolerant view that people naturally can use multiple "topics and conversation styles" in multiple social context. I would agree with you but it seems For the author, the topics and conversation styles of the people at this event are the primary evidence that they couldn't be normal in any other context. That and one guy having "shifty eyes".