#fascinating stuff

Impulse: But if we wanna step back, like...the internet is what allowed people to find each other quicker and establish these, like—tribes, we'll call 'em, right?—these groups, and create these echo chambers, much quicker than we could do before.

Skizz: Before the internet, exactly.

Impulse: Because it was all in person, you know...pen pal...like, you know what I mean? Like you didn't have as much access to likeminded people around the world, and now we can make connections like this [snaps fingers] but we can also lose connections like this. [snaps fingers]

Impulse: And so there's no real strong bonds that are being made in these tribes that are being created online. Y'know what I mean? The second somebody doesn't agree with you anymore, you can just shut them out. You don't have to go through the hard work of hearing them out and understanding their side and deciding where to meet in the middle or not meet in the middle or agree to disagree, we don't have that anymore, it's just bloop! you're gone. Y'know what I mean?

Skizz: It's the lowest barrier of exit mankind has ever experienced, right?

Impulse: Yeah, exactly.

Skizz: And we—you and I, I dunno if we've ever talked about this on the podcast, but, uh, I never—unfortunately, I haven't finished it yet, because I stopped reading for whatever—but you introduced me to the book "The Anxious Generation".

Impulse: [chuckles] I'm pretty sure that's where I'm pulling a lot of this discussion from, yeah.

Skizz: And it's this fascinating thing, but it really breaks down exactly what you're talking about, right, in regards to the fact that there's such a low barrier of exit, whereas once upon a time, if you didn't get along with somebody in your neighborhood—well, you better figure it out. 'Cause that's your neighbor. So go have it out with 'em, go talk it, figure out why you guys have such a difference—

Impulse: Understand each other!

Skizz: Understand each other, go—you're forced to understand each other, because the barrier of exit is so large because you live right next to each other. So you're either going to come to an agreement or you're gonna fight. But either way, you're gonna get to the other side of this. You're gonna actually properly get to the other side of this. But today, the slightest bit of discomfort—MUTE! MUTE! Like people are losing all social skills on what it is to actually deal with another person.

Impulse: With discourse.