Do you believe meaningful, lasting connection is possible?

[Ambivalent1]

I don't think so in the age of social media and internet addiction. People are now disposable and easily replaceable while in the past it seems people made more of an effort and didn't write people off so quickly.

 

[Soulless Angel]

People in the past before the internet would sit and talk over a beer or coffee, they would interact in person, see and feel emotion and thought behind words, social media has taken that all away, there is nothing in black and white letters, no idea who's writing it, were they are, there is no passion any more between people and building any kind of relationship whether physical, mental or other
Now one bad sentence on social media and you can be cancelled, yet once you could say thing's freely without as much fear, as the person it may have been aimed at could argue back, debate without a ton of other people forcing their opinions at you/them the situation.
Social media and the internet is bullshit

 

[Ambivalent1]

People in the past before the internet would sit and talk over a beer or coffee, they would interact in person, see and feel emotion and thought behind words, social media has taken that all away, there is nothing in black and white letters, no idea who's writing it, were they are, there is no passion any more between people and building any kind of relationship whether physical, mental or other
Now one bad sentence on social media and you can be cancelled, yet once you could say thing's freely without as much fear, as the person it may have been aimed at could argue back, debate without a ton of other people forcing their opinions at you/them the situation.
Social media and the internet is bullshit

We're heading toward a Wall-E world

 

[Soulless Angel]

We're heading toward a Wall-E world

the world and it's future is fucked,

 

[Niko66]

Only for a lucky few and with a lucky few. People stay as long as it's convenient and easy enough and serves them.

 

[unnormal9]

In a world where its people take pleasure in the bliss of dreams.

 

[Ambivalent1]

In a world where its people take pleasure in the bliss of dreams.

Reminds me of a poem that ends with "I being poor have only my dreams. I lay my dreams before your feet. Tread softly for you tread on my dreams."

 

[Salvation_]

I think it's possible but people expect too much from what's shown in media (movies, TV shows, etc.) when most relationships are extremely trivial but there's nothing inherently wrong with that


Either way, it seems like some of the most impactful relationships tend to be ones that represented parts of my life that have become irrelevant at this point, for better or for worse. It's all a weird part of growing as a person. I tend to reflect more on relationships when they're over, it's weird. I guess it's like I've gotten closure, so I can actually analyze beginning and end. But maybe that's the wrong approach because it's making me view relationships as arcs in a story or as parts of a narratives, and that seems to be unhealthy in its own right.

 

[WorthlessTrash]

Yes, just not for me.

 

[Callie Arcale]

We've always been strangers to each other. Now more than ever, because in this day and age we are also physically disconnected.

Reminds me of a poem that ends with "I being poor have only my dreams. I lay my dreams before your feet. Tread softly for you tread on my dreams."

Yeats

One of my favourite poems.

"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet"

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

People now have lots of options when it comes to meeting others by way of the internet, so there's no real incentive to work through any hardships with someone. With geographic restraints lifted, anything goes. It allows people the luxury of being picky, which is both good and bad. It's positive in the sense you don't have to put up with anything you don't want to, but treating your relationships as the equivalent of microwaved ramen is a downside in and of itself. I'm not sure we grow or learn anything if we only ever surround ourselves with perfect companions.

I think as long as two people want that connection, it can happen. But there's often a disconnect or some type of mismatch which gives people that "eh" feeling - and we're less likely to overcome that nowadays because we're not motivated to. Not to mention that we now refuse to let ourselves be inconvenienced by another person because we simply don't have to stand for it. So we breed a lot of superficial connections, but very few meaningful ones. It's difficult to really call yourself someone's friend if you're just digitally going through the motions with them and liking their holiday photos on Facebook, but that seems to be where we're at as a society.

When I was younger, it was different. I understood on some level that treating someone right almost inevitably meant sacrificing yourself in some way. And that you could only get out what you put in. But now we distrust everyone, only want the fair weather stuff, and avoid pain at all costs. Coupled with the lack of face to face dealings, our relationships really do suffer.

 

[unnormal9]

I do believe it is possible; not for me. I am chronically suicidal, therefore a burden, there is truth to that I cannot deny.