this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025
35 points (97.3% liked)

New York Times gift articles

722 readers
408 users here now

Share your New York Times gift articles links here.

Rules:

Info:

Tip:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Maybe US cities lack public spaces and no one can afford to do things in the private spaces?

[–] Fades 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

What would you even do? Read a book, play a game, browse your phone, or something in these public spaces? What’s the difference between at home and in a public space with people?

People always talk about public spaces as if magically they would pull people in simply by existing and everyone would socialize with anyone else that showed up. That’s not what happens in reality though, because there are still public places in America and yet here we are anyway.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

What would you even do? Read a book, ...? What’s the difference between at home and in a public space with people?

I went on a few dates with a woman who saw me reading a book in public and started a conversation. I'm not a social person, but talking to strangers is nice, from time to time.

We're social animals. Most of us benefit from interaction. Society is better when we interact with people outside our normal bubbles.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

...a posh private reading lounge recently opened in our city, well-stocked with whisky and cigars...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I saw a naked man masturbating on a unicycle once. So that's always an option.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There is no "third place" anymore. Unless you go to church or some shit.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Makes you wonder how much the rise of conservative evangelical Christianity and megachurches has to do with sheer social desperation.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You can do a potluck cheaply at someone's home. It's that people don't

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they're exhausted after working 3 jobs to pay rent.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's long been true for a chunk of the population. It's not enough to explain the trend

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

That chunk is getting bigger though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

...yeah, i don't have time for social dinners; after three hours commute to-and-from a useless trophy-office in the city, i'm exhausted and already running late for work by the time i get home...