Imagine if all of this money and brain power went to designing pleasant civic spaces where we could meet each other face to face.

The idea of a future where everyone is at home with screens strapped on their face, talking to their bubble-friends in a simulated tree-lined park while the outside world turns increasingly hostile is pretty sad.

Serious question: Has anybody else noticed that it's gotten very hard to talk to other people face-to-face lately? I feel like I'm expected to be an anonymous and obedient dopamine dispensing machine for the other person. Even worse, I've also noticed myself doing the same; getting home and then realizing I spent the whole conversation bragging or ranting while barely letting the other person speak. It's like the odds of having an even back-and-forth interaction is <20% post covid.