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Anon's avatar

Jonathan Haidt's initial critique of society was total boomer bullshit. He thought young people were "coddled", fragile snowflakes etc., when anyone with eyes could see that woke excesses were the product of a social media environment full of cliques and bullying (tumblr) + a vicious struggle for a shrinking pool of academic/"cultural" jobs, against a backdrop of insane inflation in housing and tuition prices.

That being said, banning smartphones for kids and encouraging in person community activities would do a hell of a lot more for overall happiness than the endless "get diagnosed with mental health condition, get therapy/drugs" treadmill. Of course, that would require a government that sees in person socializing as valuable, not something to throw away the second there's an "emergency".

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Curling Iron's avatar

Oh, yeah the masking and social distance thing again. Yawn.

I’ve traveled widely in this country. There is almost zero public space in an American city. There are enormous barriers to people socializing IRL, especially if (like teenagers) you don’t have any money. There is little

If any physical space, transportation in most cities is totally inadequate.

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Bull Hubbard's avatar

There are plenty of public spaces, but fewer people are using them.

The streets of most cities, even downtown areas, are bereft of foot traffic.

I was hooked on Hobo Stobe's freight-train-riding YouTube videos. When he arrives at a new destination, he frequently wanders around virtual ghost towns, even at high noon.

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Curling Iron's avatar

You make a good point.

By public space I mean space that is available at all hours.

I do have access to de facto public space. Technically this space closes to the public but I’m a local and I make a point of making friends with security. But I’m a pale face, tall, so that affords me certain privileges. I’m not decrying this…I love this unearned privilege lol.

On train hopping. I had a friend who lived like this. He obtained a train schedule (not easy) that allowed him to hop trains and for me to accompany him. It was fun but I think it was fun because I could go home.

I live in a giant city so there is almost always foot traffic on the streets. Even more so in my neighborhood which is adjacent to the downtown core.

Anyway…your point that people don’t use public spaces…well, that’s true for the most part. Personally, I make a point of using public spaces but I am admittedly an odd duck.

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Greg's avatar

It's not about how much or how little "public space" there is in an American city or anywhere for that matter. It's about the government imposing mandates in order control the population, and make them compliant to any and all government edicts, no matter how irrational and nonsensical they are. It was also to single out those free-thinkers who refused to comply, and induce the sheep into shaming and canceling them for "opposing authority."

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Curling Iron's avatar

Ok. But in our shared material space before and after masks there is no public space. There are few resources used to encourage civic life generally.

We meet people as customers, employees…we seldom meet as equals.

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Bull Hubbard's avatar

I disagree with your contention that "there is no public space," even if you are generalizing to make a point or for emphasis.

"We," that is many if not most of us, meet people outside of direct merchant/customer transactions, in schools, at bars and restaurants (not only with bartenders and waitrons), at church (yes, some of us still do go), at concerts (I recently met some delightful folks at a Wishbone Ash show), and . . . yes . . . even strolling around the neighborhood.

I agree that more people are shut-ins and that the ease of e-commerce and communication encourages this, but I am not convinced that the majority of us are cowering in our traps, avoiding urban hellscapes.

Visit Nebraska sometime . . . or Michigan or rural Illinois, or Minnesota . . . go fishing (may still do), spend a weekend in a tent at your local campground or Forest Preserve. Go to a less-traveled beach. These do not have to be expensive activities.

Or stay in and stew about how isolated we are all becoming, I don't care.

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Curling Iron's avatar

I do agree with you. I have always lived in America’s megalopolises. When I visit say the Ozarks of Arkansas or the Texas Hill Country, I do have interactions that are not centered on commerce.

In fact one of my fondest memories is taking my gf to the Frio River and accessing it on private land…the landowner was congenial and invited us to his home for a party in the evening.

It was absurd how hospitable that was. Truly lovely.

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Greg's avatar

I agree with your assertion.

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