On the last few flights I've taken, the NORM is for people (especially younger people) to get in the plane with their headsets on, and keep them on during the whole flight, watching a video the whole time. If my most recent flying seatmate is representative of most people, the video stays on even when sleeping.
Forget about some small talk with your neighbor, which could turn into a real conversation.
And also the norm is now for people to have their shades down when flying, even on daytime flights, even when there's no sun coming in. I guess it's so that everybody's screens (phone, laptop, etc) are easier to see. Nobody is interested in looking out the window anymore?
Actually IN the airport, waiting for the flights, I would say conservatively that 90 to 95% of people are on their phone, or potentially their laptop, the entire time. Sometimes it's eerily quiet in the waiting area, except for the announcements and tv screens.
And now I see many people even wearing headsets and earbuds, even when just out and about, like in stores, walking on the sidewalk, etc.
I was recently in an old age home. The employee checking visitors in was PLAYING A VIDEO GAME on her phone, WHILE checking people in, and (very minimally) talking to the people checking in.
In practically ANY restaurant you to into now, at least in the US, there's a TV program playing on a screen. It's human nature to look at any kind of moving picture, so instead of talking to someone, they stare at the screen. Only fancier restaurants nowadays have no screens.
Okay, so I know this is a lot of complaining.
But I just want to know - are we going to go even FURTHER down this path - continual detachment from other humans, and being constantly plugged into a dopamine hit machine?
Is there much resistance to this? I'm not seeing in IRL, but I did find these articles, when searching for "luddite".
https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-tech-rally-apple-iphone-elon-musk-tesla-luddite-movement-2025-9
https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-luddite-renaissance-is-in-full
What do you all think? Where are we headed?