The missing middle ring of human connection
Derek Thompson’s ’The Anti-Social Century' is quite simply a must-read piece. There is so much I could draw from and reflect on, but I’ll go with just this on what he calls the missing ‘middle ring’ of our human connections:
Home-based, phone-based culture has arguably solidified our closest and most distant connections, the inner ring of family and best friends (bound by blood and intimacy) and the outer ring of tribe (linked by shared affinities). But it’s wreaking havoc on the middle ring of “familiar but not intimate” relationships with the people who live around us.
This article is a fascinating reflection on the societal implications of screens, alongside being at home more. I know this rings true for me. It’s easier to feel superficially connected via something online, and so I choose that over the more involved—but much deeper—connection of in-person, face-to-face time with others.
