a letter to daniel

Isnt it odd how many lonely people there are on this campus? I swear every person I speak to has this feeling of being unable to connect meaningfully with others. It’s hypocritical of me to say we should all speak of this more, since I am quite shy, but it is true none the less. I wish the world was kinder and that things were easier. Making friends is very, very hard.

dear daniel,

indeed, i have been growing increasingly concerned with collective feelings of isolation and consequential sadness.

four days ago, i started reading digital minimalism, by cal newport. while i disagree with some of his points, it has been certainly helpful to understand how technologies have been weaponized against us in order to condition us to unfailingly feed into the attention economy. the author argues that big tech lures us into apps and websites with the false idea of community and connection, but we become more and more addicted and alienated from actual human connection. what are your thoughts on all of this?

(and yes, i do see the irony of telling you about this book through a blog)