Is Friendships Doomed?

Historically, humans were much more connected than nowadays. How so? Well in the 1970s, people would meet locally whether that was through school, their area (neighborhood), or friends' friends. Back then friendships were easy, you picked someone to hang out with and instantly clicked. Everyone would get out of their comfort zone and seize the opportunity to start that conversation. Everything was in person but sometimes calling was an option in this decade. 

In the 1980s, the influence of politics made people more individualistic. It would mean a person in this decade would likely engage with others with the same interests/beliefs. Size of social circles started to decrease. With the popularity of urbanization, people were moving and that would mean losing interactions in person but there was email. 

When the 1990s rolled around, the internet was widely available. Computers, instant messaging, and mobile phones were accessed. Relationships of any kind were still made face to face but distance started to not matter when there's technology to reach people far away. The gadgets make it easy to enjoy your own company and make you not want to go outside. 

Explosion of technology happened in the 2000s. It has gotten better but unfortunately something happened in 2007-2008. The economy impacted everyone. Most had to move and search for new job opportunities. People became busier. On a good note, online play in video games was a thing. It can be played anytime with others and even make new friends without ever seeing them in person. 

In the 2010s, everyone was using social media more than ever. There's even apps for online shopping, food delivery, and even dating. Less chances of interacting with one another. Some people abused the usage of social media by using it too much. Relying on social media as a main communication is very bad. "More than half the people surveyed said that they wished that they had waited to get social media until they were older. Some said that it is not appropriate for younger kids and that it is just toxic in general. Something that I really like that a couple people mentioned was that in reality, social media at a young age is stupid and useless. A lot of people said they wish they would have enjoyed their childhood more and they would be more extroverted now if they had not been exposed that early." It is also stated, "I asked if they think social media has impacted their communication and the way they interact with others and 75% (18/24 people) said yes." From personal experience, I can confirm this. I've started being on social media around 10 and a decade of using it too much has made communicating in person difficult. 

Finally in the 2020s, there was a pandemic in which we couldn't leave our houses that often. It impacted our socialization. People felt so lonely. Now there's AI and it may be used on how we communicate with each other. I haven't seen any AI involvement with social relationships. "...the scientific community has largely ignored the potential social impacts of integrating AI-generated messages into human communication." I agree that AI should not be associated with social relationships. 

Face to face interactions these days seem more meaningful to people but it's not often done. In the internet world, people are not that connected either. It feels impossible to make progress with anyone. In a way the internet is dehumanizing. What do I mean by that? It affects how humans behave. A person took their time to say something vile to someone else. Through our screens it removes a layer of humanity with our interactions (Body language, facial expressions, reactions, physical touch). It doesn't feel like we are talking to a human being, just a projection of a human being. It is easier to do things we wouldn't do in person. Genuine connection has been rare to find.

This topic is important because it affects us all. It seems we have a lonely pandemic. We all crave companionship. We are social beings. I am not saying to ditch technology and social media altogether and never get on it. I am saying we have to try to recognize what is causing our lonely feelings and go from there. Things that could be helpful are going outside more, meeting people in person, friending someone who is different from you, and being more kind and genuine.