Fuck, what a year. Everything is blowing up, everyone is getting canceled, and we’re learning shocking things about people we’ve known for years. Relationships are falling apart, friendships put on (and over) the line, and it feels like our community is being put to the test.

Oh, you’re asking who this ominous ‘we’ I keep referring to is? Well, it’s everyone. Everyone from the world stage (recent developments in Ukraine and the Middle East immediately coming to mind) to some of the highly specific communities I’m part of (both locally and internationally) to the village news of the places my and other people’s parents are from, they’re all giving roughly the same stories. Now, were I the type to seriously believe in conspiracy theories I’d immediately jump at the opportunity to blame this on vaccines, electromagnetic fields, or whatever THEY have been up to recently.

But we all know this shit isn’t actually in the water. So why is everything so fucked up? I’m going to provide a handful of explanations, leaving it up to you pick one (or a few) that you’re content with.

The Fucking Pandemic (yeah, I’m as tired of it as you are)

The most obvious thing to examine is the COVID-19 pandemic and the many late consequences we can assume it brought with it. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, having been (or still being, depending on your definition) the major geopolitical event that it was (is) had a wide range of effects on both individuals and society at large which I’ll only be able to scratch the surface of in this (hopefully short) article.

Neurodegenerative Bullshit at the Societal Level

Only five or ten years ago this might’ve been a conspiracy theory. But knowing what we do about the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections, the thought that a significant decrease in memory and concentration brought on by the disease might have led to an increase in ill-advised and impulsive behavior doesn’t seem all that far-fetched anymore.

Or Maybe We’ve all just Forgotten how to Society

Maybe abstaining from socializing for the better part of two years has simply done some lasting damage to our society. It’s entirely within the realm of possibility that extended periods of loneliness (or the exact opposite; being locked up with someone who ended up not being as pleasant to be with without downtime) has left us having to relearn the fundamentals of existing within a society from scratch. We were all so busy coping with the enormous mental load of extended lockdowns that empathy and social skills started atrophying, and now it’s going to take some major consequences in order for us to realize their importance again.

The Politics of the Pandemic put us on the Edge

The pandemic has been one of the most polarizing events in recent history. There was little space for nuance once we started dealing with outright denial of the disease’s dangers. You were either pro- or anti-vaccine. You were either pro- or anti-lockdown. Even in light of the mental health effects of lockdowns or the absolute clusterfuck that was the AstraZeneca debacle trying to voice a nuanced opinion immediately put you at risk of alienating your friends because everyone was (or at least pretended to be) a hardliner. Now we’re returning to normalcy, and nuanced opinions are a thing we have to relearn.

Climate Change and Butterflies

There is absolutely no doubt about it: the effects of climate change are all around us. The weather is getting fucky, we’re dealing with natural disasters, ecosystems are collapsing, pests and predators are migrating far from where they’re supposed to be. And of course we’re struggling with that. From ruined harvests to heatwaves, all of that shit is starting to stress us out. And as we continue to fail to reduce our impact on the environment it’s only going to get worse.

Geopolitics

Between North Korea, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the never-ending conflict in the Middle East tensions are higher than ever. This is a cold war in all but name, and we’re busy worrying. All it takes is one rogue commander, one leader willing to stake it all, and we’ve got a full-blown nuclear war. No point in micromanaging your relationships when the missiles might come flying tomorrow.

Cycles

It’s alright. We’ve been here before. Things are going to calm down again.

What Will you Believe?

Whichever reality you choose to inhabit, don’t let it get to you too much, be kind, enjoy the little things.

ncl

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