Abolish digital slavery and publicly code and fund the public commons with no scraping or exploitation whatsoever. Restore the rights of autonomy and self determinism required for a citizen in a democracy and people will return to the culture that existed before google won its privateer piracy charter to digitally enslave everyone in exchange for free email and search results because the US was too backwards to fund the fundamental public commons required for real democracy and was itching for slavery again at the first opportunity of going unnoticed.
Chatbots
Need to bring back Internet cafes.
Did those actually provide any sort of social outlet?
That’s similar to the reason my company gives for having to be in the office but I work on the computer and go home. The only people I interact with are my remote peers
Less pants
Just have a war. Nothing brings people together like necessity and shared trauma.
Don’t worry, that war isn’t far off.
Go to open mic or karaoke nights. Hype everybody up. Talk to people after their performance.
Start a hobby and find a local group to do your hobby with other people. Sometimes if you’re really into the hobby the group will find you. E.g. you’re at the park doing your hobby and see other people doing your hobby. You talk to them and they know a group of people doing it too.
Assuming your job doesn’t involve much face to face interaction, volunteer somewhere in person and talk to the people you’re working with and the people you’re serving.
Set up a booth at a high foot traffic area with a sign that says, “Free jokes.” Or “Free Magic.” Memorize some decent jokes or magic tricks and do them. Talk to people. Ask if they want you to perform at their house for their friends. Become the token magician friend.
More public transit and more public spaces. Transit that you don’t have to think about taking (because it’s safe, frequent, and cheap or free) takes you to new places or to familiar places more often, and lets you meet more people more often. And going outside and doing shit is just good for you, I’m sorry to report.
Doesn’t work. I live in Hong Kong, which has some of the world’s most efficient public transport systems. People don’t actually talk. They just look at their phones. A train cart can be full of people but no conversation.
Public transit isn’t for socializing, it’s for traveling. Public spaces like parks, libraries, squares, etc that don’t require payment to use are for socializing.
Oh I thought you meant socializing during transit, sorry. I forgot to consider in other places parks are not a maximum 15-minute walk away
I agree. I think a big part of the issue is that going out to do things is just so expensive these days. There aren’t any “third places” for people anymore.
The neighboring village just built a smallish sk8erpark for the youth. Quite nice finally seeing kids outside again. When walking the dog I feel like I haven’t seen kids doing kids stuff since like forever
This is the best answer !fuckcars
Increase taxes on places that sell take home alcohol and decrease tax on alcohol sold from licenced venues.
It should be cheap to go out.
Easy, stop considering any kind of digital communication as social interaction, it might seem like it but it is not.
We call it social media, social networks, communities, groups but rarely think about the individuals within them, it’s I saw on Facebook or according to Reddit. We tend to think about the entire platform as a single entity, we barely notice the names of the users.
Messaging apps. How often do we ask to someone how’s going? And to how many people? We might spend the whole day in the group chat of our actual friends and still not know if they are fine or not.
Go to the bar, drink, tip well. At least the bartenders will want to socialize when they can, even if only for their own self interests (tips). Also, other patrons might be in the same boat, and you can commiserate over drinks!
For me, working in human services does the trick. Over the summer I take a vacation to heal body/mind, and swap to spending more time on MMOs, a Mud, and making sure I go “out” somewhere at least once a day. Even just to the library.
Step 1
- Demolish all housing - everyone is homeless now
Step 2
- Mandate that everyone design their own silly costume - this is all you’re allowed to wear
Step 3
- Legalize and subsidize all the fun drugs - everyone gets a weekly allowance of shrooms, ecstasy, etc
Step 4
- Loneliness is officially replaced with several other problems
Username checks out
One night a week of mandatory, free, tabletop RPGs hosted in libraries, council buildings, etc. D&D (or even a good roleplaying game) for everyone! Player groups are mixed up every two months to ensure multiple opportunities for bonding with new people.
Talk to old people. They have time to listen. Delete all social media.
Hamsters? I didn’t know y’all enough to trust you with cats or dogs outright.
