@xaetacore@neondystopia.world right right, yeah i omitted that bit about why i don't associate with those people a lot of it is just drifting apart, but then there's a lot of shitty abusive dynamics, like people forget in discussions of the Me Too era how this played out on a small scale, how many popular men were outed as rapists and abusers and their bros came to their defense, this happened pretty widely inside and outside of explicitly political communities, and still happens, and then there's a variety of less egregious but still toxic habits of abuse and manipulation, petty shit talking, crab in the bucket mentalities, maintaining 'friendships' just to treat them like shit etc. so maybe that explains a bit more as to why socialization has all but collapsed, it's not just social media

like i was always interested in doing things like making music or art, encouraging everyone to indulge their creative interests, and a lot of people really are not, and hate anyone who tries, and just want to drag everyone else into a self destructive hole with them

I've very intersted in this arc, in the early years of social media, facebook in particular, where it lent itself to an increase in real life socialization, can look at the arab spring or occupy and a lot of stuff that came after... and then gradually led to walled off atomizations, things took a really dark turn

@xaetacore@neondystopia.world always nice to end on good terms, it seems very difficult to meet people at all these days, beyond anything romantic just making friends is very hard, like there's always this imperative to maintain a certain level of emotional distance even with people you've known for years, so i think that 'emotionally unavailable' bit is very true

When i was young and hot i benefited from having an extended network of friends, and just by having an active social life, eventually someone will communicate romantic interest, these days i have no idea how i would even make friends, and the most earnest conversations i've had with strangers in recent years have been unhoused people, waiting for the bus or walking the dog or something, street people are the only one's with any kind of community it seems

'bars are cringe' yes they are, lol, rarely are people at bars even interested in socializing, everyone's on their phone, and usually the music is too loud to have a conversation, people have to get so fucked up they can't use their phone before they begin to socialize

@xaetacore@neondystopia.world seems accurate, so grateful i snagged a partner before the breakdown of all social interaction