Online By Default

Times Are A-Changing

Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, urban nightlife was still in full swing—cultural leftovers from the phenomenon that was the '70s and '80s. Vibrant clubs and bars were filled to the brim with every kind of promising future Fortune 500 CEO, long-haired dreamcatcher enthusiast, and your everyday Jack and Jill just out for the weekly nightcap. A plethora of themes spanned from sensory-overloading cyberpunk neon jungles to the dull and dreary nothing-scapes of Ye Olde tavern-style family-run hovels. Enough synchronized lighting to reliably induce seizures within a three-mile radius, or the gentle, out-of-rhythm cooing of a jazz piano coated the background ambience.

Slowly but surely, this cacophony of sound and light has been in decline. Establishments are closing down, and fewer people are favoring a night of bumping into urine-soaked strangers on their way to get yet another beverage that would most likely end up on the floor rather than in their stomach. This has been a steady trend since as early as 2008—and it has shown no sign of slowing down. For better or worse, times are changing.

The usual night of beer and bar fights has been forgone and replaced with a comfortable night in. Perhaps with close friends or family. Perhaps just that one special person—until their premium subscription to the intricacies of your mental state expires. What I find, though, is that more and more people are opting out of the idea of physical socialization altogether, choosing instead a digital soirée: communication through screen and keys rather than risking the immense dangers of prolonged eye contact.

Perhaps it comes down to our innate tribal instinct—that the more people there are, the fewer people we can trust. Especially these days, when just about every word you speak can and will be held against you in the court of public opinion. Every mistaken touch or badly aimed stumble could land you in a very heated online discussion branded with all kinds of vile hashtags. If you're lucky, you’ll get home having only been mugged or threatened once on your way to a very poorly kept and thoroughly abused bathroom. So no wonder!

Perhaps we’ve realized that the complicated nature of a large tribe is a complication we just don’t need. I, myself, am perfectly content at home, by myself, with the bellows and howls of my childhood friends still very audible—from my very own, clean, and private bathroom. The music I hear is my own, the sights I see are my own. The "Well, back in my day..." generation might not see the appeal just yet, but hopefully the allure of less traffic on the road might swing them around soon enough. Embrace the digital frontier of friendship with an open heart. Explore the digital realm together—it’s a big place in there.

Alternatively, maybe evolution’s greatest revelation is that we were never that fond of each other to begin with.

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