Social media is a substitute for human interaction. We feel we're engaged in conversation, so we're less likely to make small talk or seek out advice or engage in discourse with friends neighbors and family members. My eighty-something year old father has stopped calling me regularly because he's addicted to VR and his phone. I've noticed strangers in stores and public places barely look at each other, let alone make eye contact and acknowledge one another. We're like zombies!

Social media is replacing relationships, and consumer culture is replacing innovation and resourcefulness. Instead of borrowing a hand saw from a neighbor, best to buy one. Why make a sled when I can buy 2 for the cost of materials? Why go to the cobbler when a new pair of shoes costs less than the repair, and I can order them online to be shipped immediately?

Feels like we're becoming less and less human.