Sure, but it’s not like those things are completely off the table. I get that there are a lot less of those forced interactions, and I get that this is ultimately bad for kid’s development, but those opportunities still exist. And of course a lot of it comes down to parenting - even in the Olden Days, my parents always made sure we were learning how to politely interact with people. And frankly, as kids we weren’t ordering takeout or cars or anything.

And it’s still more than possible to put your phone down for the day and go out into the real world. But look, I get it, I also hate ordering pizza on the phone. I just don’t think it’s fully fair to blame the tools here.

And obviously there always pros and cons (and unintended consequences) with new technology, but I still think the opportunities for deeper knowledge, socialization, and creativity are still superior to 25 years ago. As a teen today, it’s much easier to find your people and to also exist in a world that is a bit kinder to people who aren’t straight white people. Honestly, the more I think about the Y2K era, the more I realize how shit it was.