The Lost Art of Conversation

How social media disrupts human connectedness

The Twitter meltdown got me thinking. People are scrambling to find a replacement for this platform. There’s panic, confusion, and despair. Why?

Last week I wrote Why Should You Care About the Collapse of Twitter? I discuss the benefits of the platform. Now I want to talk about how social media messes with us as humans.

The internet has become a vital mainstream of our lives. Everything is connected. This is good and bad.

Social media came into being in the 1990s. Its sales pitch:

• to bring value to society through the internet
• create a place for sharing, connection, community, openness, and expression

Since that time, social media has shaped markets, labor, politics, and social life worldwide. Not always in a healthy way.

The 1990s v 2022

The 1990s look like heaven to me in retrospect. Technology was the new toy. It was overpriced and few had it.

Malls were still a thing. So was talking to people IRL. People went out of their way to physically see each other.

Life was slower, calmer, and polite. The 3 don’ts of conversation were still observed. Don’t talk about politics, sex, or…