There’s been such a massive shift in the way that we behave, our interests, our hobbies, and how we spend our time that it is genuinely a bit scary. I mean, 20 years ago if someone just stayed home all the time, had no friends, no interests, no hobbies they were considered weird.

Now, most people go to work, come home and do absolutely nothing. People’s hobbies tend to be focused around scrolling on their phones or binge watching. This isn’t a moral failing, obviously, but it is making everyone extremely isolated and lonely.

& yet despite the fact that people are lonely and feel isolated, there is a really widespread fear of people putting themselves “out there”. So, instead of picking up a hobby that could lead to friendships…they stay home and scroll their phone till 2 am. Go to work. Do it again.

One of my weird little conspiracy theories is that most people are not actually introverted or are not actually as introverted as they think they are…they’re just exhausted by capitalism and too scared to put themselves out there. The cycle keeps going.The loneliness continues.

On social media, it has become almost aspirational to just come home and do nothing. “Rotting in bed” is a whole concept, an entire aesthetic really. & everything IS on our phones…why leave the comfort of our beds?

On one hand, it makes me quite sad that people don’t have hobbies. Personally, I am trying to resist this as much as possible. I’ve stopped online shopping, for example, so I can force myself to go to the story. I buy less, spend time with people, get to wander & be away from 📲

Reading, writing, boxing, yoga, pilates, dancing are all hobbies that I am committed too. Anything in which I can stay away from my phone is good for me. I take two walks every day & I do not check my phone at all during this time. I’ve stopped cancelling plans.

Even if I am dreadfully exhausted and even if my physical health is not a 100%, I refuse to cancel plans now. I listen to music while getting ready, I put some makeup on, get dressed and go meet up with friends and colleagues. It has helped a LOT w/ my health tbh.

Last winter, I barely left my house. It wreaked havoc on my mental and physical health. I gained weight, I did nothing worthwhile…there are entire weeks I genuinely cannot remember. I barely remember it. So I decided I will not allow myself to do it again.

Whether we are introverted or extroverted, we need human connection. We need communities, we need friends, family, loved ones. We need to know people care about us and that we care for them too. Companionship is a basic human need.

I think things are getting worse for us. We have become far too comfortable, imo, with loserdom. With every day & weekend, seeing the hours pass us by as we scroll and scroll on tik-tok watching other people, cooler people, living their lives. It’s not healthy.

& I know that meeting new people can be scary and that making friends can be scary but is the alternative really that we all end up living lonely, isolated lives because we are too scared to even try? Too comfortable with our phones? This cannot be our life. We deserve better.

Also, there is absolutely no way that we would be in this situation if we didn’t live under this capitalistic hellhole in which our labour is constantly exploited so that the 1% can continually get richer. If our basic needs were met, we would all function better.