Brett Cooper

Like again, I will admit,

Often, the most interaction I have with my friends is us just sending videos back and forth.

Like, that's all we do.

Amir and I spend more time DMing each other than we do seeing each other in person.

That's a problem, Amir.

I'll see you tomorrow at my house.

Anyway, the point is, after years of these attitudes and this digital-centric relationship building, we now have a generation, our generation primarily, that barely knows how to speak to each other.

Another person on Reddit, which obviously is another digital alternative, so it's ironic that I'm using this comment, but this person made a great point, and he said this.

There is a general sense of inhospitality.

Strucking up a conversation with people you don't know has become something of a generational divide, taboo even for younger folk.

If even small talk and passing conversations are dying out, what are the odds of building something deeper with someone?

If people go out with friends, they stick to their friends.

They don't mingle at bars and clubs.

If you're hooking up with somebody, it is rarely spontaneous.

It is someone they met online, it's been planned out to meet somewhere in advance.

And this is the most important part.

When the social priority is on not causing other people discomfort over actually building connections with people, is there any surprise connections aren't being made?

Now that last point is so astute, and we could make this whole thing just about dating and male-female relationships, you know, the fears of men and Me Too, but our entire society, our entire culture outside of this dating world has placed such an emphasis, obviously we see this in politics every single day, but it's placed such an emphasis on not triggering anyone, on holding space,

and creating safe spaces and protecting our peace, whatever bullshit lines people are coming up with and posting about.

Like, no wonder a little normal awkwardness, discomfort brushing shoulders at a bar or a party is sending people straight to therapy.