Originally Posted by
JamesWales
I entirely agree with you both. I suppose I was specifically referring to COVID as a one off event, but that drift has been clear for years.
It's not just internet connections, it's the corresponding decline in human interactions which impacts our wellbeing, our tolerance and empathy and how we speak to eachother - as illustrated on this site as I don't doubt the conversations would be markedly more polite in person.
It's a serious issue and one which local authorities and the government(s) need to get a handle on, and it drifts into a great number of topics including working from home, cashless societies, being open to learning, experience, sharing ideas, mental stimulation etc and the net result isnt good.
We need human interactions on a regular basis and it is vital for our individual and collective wellbeing. Peter also cites a good example about of being overreliance on digital systems which taken to the extreme is also a national security issue.
I've seen this in public services in the last few years. My child's school doesn't even do proper parents evenings now. It's online. It's awful. Things have got much worse in my opinion and some rowing back is necessary