- Joined
- Oct 5, 2018
- Messages
- 19,726
- Points
- 113
Loneliness Was Never a Glitch.
It Was the Matrix. We’re used to hearing that loneliness is a byproduct of modern life. That it’s just something that happens because of social media, long commutes, remote work, or how busy everyone is. But what if it’s deeper than that? What if loneliness isn’t just something we’ve stumbled into but something the system quietly encourages?
Think about how life is set up today. Whether you’re single, married, have roommates, or live in a house full of people, the system still pushes you to function as an individual unit. You could live with four people and still each have your own food delivery app, your own fitness plan, your own algorithm curating your world.
The more isolated you are, the more the market can sell you. Loneliness becomes profitable. Instead of leaning on a neighbor, you pay for a task app. Instead of relying on family, you hire help. Instead of sharing resources, you’re encouraged to buy your own version of everything. Even emotional support has become transactional, apps for therapy, platforms for dating, subscriptions for “wellness.”
The result? We’ve just created a world where our most basic human needs like belonging, love, purpose, have been rerouted through the marketplace.
Even the way we talk about relationships has changed. Friends are “followers.” Community is “content.” Intimacy is measured in likes. You don’t join a neighborhood, you join a platform. Trust is no longer something you build face to face, it’s outsourced to star ratings and verification badges.
It’s structural. We’ve built an economy that works best when people are disconnected. Maybe the real question we should be asking is Why would the people who profit from this setup want us to feel truly connected in the first place?”
It Was the Matrix. We’re used to hearing that loneliness is a byproduct of modern life. That it’s just something that happens because of social media, long commutes, remote work, or how busy everyone is. But what if it’s deeper than that? What if loneliness isn’t just something we’ve stumbled into but something the system quietly encourages?
Think about how life is set up today. Whether you’re single, married, have roommates, or live in a house full of people, the system still pushes you to function as an individual unit. You could live with four people and still each have your own food delivery app, your own fitness plan, your own algorithm curating your world.
The more isolated you are, the more the market can sell you. Loneliness becomes profitable. Instead of leaning on a neighbor, you pay for a task app. Instead of relying on family, you hire help. Instead of sharing resources, you’re encouraged to buy your own version of everything. Even emotional support has become transactional, apps for therapy, platforms for dating, subscriptions for “wellness.”
The result? We’ve just created a world where our most basic human needs like belonging, love, purpose, have been rerouted through the marketplace.
Even the way we talk about relationships has changed. Friends are “followers.” Community is “content.” Intimacy is measured in likes. You don’t join a neighborhood, you join a platform. Trust is no longer something you build face to face, it’s outsourced to star ratings and verification badges.
It’s structural. We’ve built an economy that works best when people are disconnected. Maybe the real question we should be asking is Why would the people who profit from this setup want us to feel truly connected in the first place?”
