I was thinking about this last night while walking the dog around our neighborhood. We're frequently hanging out in our front yard during the day in the summer, so it's not unusual to chat for a bit with the mail carrier as they're dropping stuff in the mailbox at our front door. Just one street over, the houses were built about 20 years after ours, and instead of having mailboxes on the houses themselves, they're out at the curb. The mail carrier just drops the mail in right from the mail truck, and keeps driving. It's probably a small thing, but it's yet another little human interaction that has been "optimized" away for the folks living on that street.
Same deal with the self checkouts at the grocery store. I know people love to hate on small talk or chit chat, but I think those little interactions can really help build community cohesiveness and reinforce the idea that the world is made up of humans, rather than uncaring automatons.
By having a dog, you're already way ahead of the curve! I had to take care of one for a month or two, long ago in a past life. And walking the dog gets you chatting with all the other dog people.
And yeah, the rushed gig schedule. These days, a package delivery is left on the stoop, proof-of-delivery photo taken and by the time I notice (they don't usually even ring the doorbell) they've already driven off again. And of course "community mailboxes" means the regular mail carrier doesn't walk the neighbourhood any more either.
Same deal with the self checkouts at the grocery store. I know people love to hate on small talk or chit chat, but I think those little interactions can really help build community cohesiveness and reinforce the idea that the world is made up of humans, rather than uncaring automatons.