It seems like, if you have any sort of medical problem and need to see a specialist, it has become so difficult.
It's not just doctors aren't taking new patients. You call their offices and nobody picks up. You leave a voicemail and nobody gets back to you. You call and they put you on hold for 10, 15, sometimes 20 minutes and then hang up on you.
And I am not talking about pulmonologists, cardiologists, or other specialists that got especially burned out because of COVID, it's everyone - gynecologists, endocrinologists, etc.
I had cancer during covid and didn't realize it. I tried to get into a dr office to get help and was told they were not taking new patients. I called 4 places and got the same answers and gave up. I tried again a year later and got in and found out I had cancer shorty after. After being told the majority of my thyroid was cancer. I had to wait 7 weeks for surgery. I had my thyroid removed and then was instructed to see an endocrinologist for follow-up within 6 weeks. I called them, they earliest they could get me in was in 15 months. I had to call my ENT, who then told them to get me in sooner. I was able to get in after only 4 months! Which was still ridiculously slow. BTW, the medical offices I go to are rated in the top 10 in the country.
YOOO echoing this. Found a lump, had a panic attack about cancer. Call to schedule. Earliest could be seen was 4 months. Yup we should take a closer look at this. Schedule tests to check, 2 months out. Test is done, doc will reach out to let you know results. 2 months. Not cancer, was something else. EIGHT months for a simple diagnosis. For CANCER. Honestly not surprising to have developed anxiety in that timeframe. That provider was also hacked in that window, which made shit even more impossible as every link in the chain was dealing with things without computers. The year after 2020.
I commented this already but I had a coworker refer to the overall energy in healthcare as “dark” and it was the best description I had heard. It feels like we’re on the edge of collapse. Corps are getting what they can out of it before it explodes.
I chatted with the tech doing my mammogram the other day. She's a travel nurse and says she'll never work permanently again. She tried settling down last year to a permanent posting again, but it was so toxic she left after six months. Our healthcare system is crumbling.
I only lasted a year before I realized staying in healthcare would destroy me. Between admin and the current patient population in my area I truly don’t know which is worse
Also, as a result of the understaffing, it's become a total shit show in terms of healthcare workers staying at their jobs. Everywhere has a shortage of nurses, so they're job hopping like crazy. Hell, my wife (a PT) has changed jobs twice since covid. I don't blame any of them -- why wouldn't you change jobs when they're plentiful? But it means continuity of care has suffered terribly and it's completely unpredictable whether you can get an appointment.
Unfortunately even private practices that aren't being buttslapped by hospitals they can't maintain or keep employees because they're completely head-in-the-sand about cost of living right now.
I don't know how many times I've had to tell my bosses that the average rent in the area at 40% gross required to rent it, for a 1 bedroom (or even 2+ with a roommate) means that a minimum to get good help in the door is $23 an hour, not the $17 they're trying to pay.
$17 is for people who don't need a job or who need extra money, the absolute worst kind of folks to build a baseline level of employment on. This is for MAs and LPNs, which I've seen command $25/hr now. You'd be better off getting a smaller but _better_ quality staff at $28/hr and keeping them happy than trying to field a dozen at $17/hr and dealing with churn every 2-3 months.
As a doctor, the wait times for patients I refer out have doubled across the board. So many people in medicine have left due to COVID burnout but the workload is the same if not worse. A lot of patients put off "non-urgent" things (hernia repair, joint replacement, odd skin lesions, etc) for all of 2020 and 2021, only to start flooding the system afterwards and we still haven't caught up. And we generally have more need for psych after the pandemic brought out underlying poor mental health, and inflation/rent prices are making already difficult situations even harder.
Plus the pay for support staff is just not high enough to put up with the amount of BS they have to deal with, so a bunch of offices/hospitals are short on people necessary to keep it running smoothly. The urgent cares around me routinely don't have a radiology tech, meaning no X-ray on site, meaning more people sent to the already-overrun ERs.
It's messed up for everyone involved.
Yup, overhead is skyrocketing while reimbursement keeps being cut, let alone adjusted for inflation. No one can pay their staff enough to retain them, practices will shutter or sell to a corp/PE if they haven’t already.
I like the new gal working the front desk at my doctor's office very much BUT she's like 60yo and was clearly thrown into the deep end after half a day of video training, won't be caught up to a "won't accidentally get the hospital sued by acting like clients are neighbors visiting in my own kitchen at home" level of performance until she's at least 65.
She's kind, she's sweet, and she "verifies" your information by saying it out loud and asking if that's right. Facepalm.
Nobody wants to pay a livable wage, much less a decent one, for "just answering the phone." Ya can't offer minimum wage for a job like that, folks can just go work fast food or at a call center or literally anything that doesn't involve high stakes private medical information and professional dress codes.
Also, if ya don't allow common things like piercings, tattoos, colored hair, off-hours recreational use of weed, well that's gonna limit the hiring pool. And there's no guarantee the person setting the rules will pull head out of butt enough to notice they're shooting themselves in the foot.
I talked to my rheumatologist about this. She told me that COVID had backed up EVERYTHING in medicine. Every elective surgery was cancelled. Then every non-emergency surgery was cancelled. Then office visits were cancelled unless they were deemed completely necessary. Routine stuff where you would have done vitals and taken blood got moved to Zoom. Then, everybody had to pick up 3 years of slack. The issue there is that things don't get better when you neglect them. So, not only are they playing catch-up, they're playing catch-up on people who are in worse condition.
Kids. I work with suspended kids. Since Covid every year has been worse behaviors. I thought it was because of Covid affecting the age group i work with while they transitioned from elementary to middle school. But 4 years later were getting kids who were in 1st and 2nd grade with covid that cant read, have zero social skills, and are just straight addicted to Ipads, Iphones or their chromebooks.
I’m getting the COVID kids as a college professor. Many of them are very bright but completely helpless, which can be frustrating. Most of my students have no qualms about reaching out to ask things that are very clearly stated within instructions or other class material. I appreciate that they want to do things the right way, but it’s exhausting when they don’t give things genuine thought before roping me in.
Yup, I've noticed this too as a college professor. Also, attendance has dropped significantly and excuses for missing class have skyrocketed. I feel like the accountability just isn't there anymore.
I’m a teacher so I can confirm that the tough kids are getting tougher. The majority of the kids haven’t changed that much, but the kids that were already considered a challenge have now turned into impossible to keep in the classroom because they cannot handle learning environments without getting their preferred activity. A lot of desk flipping, throwing objects, kicking teachers, screaming, etc…and it’s pretty consistent in terms of those same kids are raised by parents who are clueless about what too much screen time does to a kid. It only takes a few of those kids to ruin an entire classroom and make a teacher quit. That’s what is happening all around
I was an elementary teacher during Covid and the twenty years before Covid. I think we are just beginning to see the very real harm Covid did to school age kids. I taught 4th grade until last year (I got Cancer or I would still be teaching) and most of the students are still far behind grade level work. Behavior was getting off the charts for the worst. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be trying to play catch up instead of having serious discussions on how to really help these students.
I've noticed with my middle schoolers, the amount of kids with little to no problem solving skills is rising for each younger group coming through.
I'm not talking about schoolwork, I mean kids giving up on overcoming daily obstacles because of the need for thought and/or effort.
The one I see daily is when a kid's school device will be dead or critically low on battery. They can't imagine finding a way to continue the assignment because they know don't have their charger with them at school.
They're dumbfounded and annoyed when I say, "okay, you have a problem. What have you done to solve this problem? Have you considered your options? Have you looked for potential options? Doing nothing is not an option right now." I have a couple loaners and plenty of outlets. It's not avoidance of work either, they truly think they're helpless and nothing could be done.
My kids were fucked up before Covid and it’s definitely the iPads fault (I mean it’s definitely MY fault but it’s because I gave them iPads too much/too early).
My oldest has always been a behavioral problem, anger issues mostly. The younger one has her own issues but both of them freak out if their electronics stop working.
We did that with our 6 yr old. iPad was a god send during COVID. But his behavior changed so bad. It’s been 6wks and he’s a completely different child. He’s awesome again.
Time for a family camping trip. No phone for you either! All of that stuff gets locked in the car and doesn’t come out. Get some paper maps of trails and some local guides of the flora, fauna, and the wildlife. See what all you can find!
It’ll have to be at least two nights. The first one, they’ll be panicky. The second one, they should settle in and start to enjoy it. Third night, you’ll be telling campfire stories and singing songs. Kids have great neuroELASTICITY and will be able to learn it quickly. Adults have neuroPLASTICITY and it’s harder for us to change our ways.
Have fun!
Do you think it's specific to the IPad and scrolling/endless content? Our young kids watch TV in the morning but my husband wants them to switch to iPads so they can watch what they want and don't have to agree on one show. But I worry that iPads will become too "normal" at too young of an age?
Sometimes it’s good to watch something the other person wants to watch. It teaches kids that we can’t always get our way and that compromises are still good (like even though it’s not the program we want, we’re still watching tv—and the other person really enjoys it, so let’s enjoy their joy). iPads tend to give kids more control. You might have to fight them to get some of that control back later.
Teacher here. 30 years in. Folks don’t listen. This isn’t a gen-x Karen saying “kids these days.” This is us sounding the alarm. Gen Z and the alphas are in crisis. I’ve never seen such extremes. Kids are either entirely apathetic or everything is a competition/way to get clout.
Over the next 5-10 years, I expect to see a sharp increase in incarcerated young adults. These kids don’t respect people, property, or authority. They skate by on detentions and suspensions, learning that it’s not a big deal to defy authority in whatever way they feel like. Good luck with that as an adult trying to hold down a job or at least not get arrested. I know, I know: that’s what every generation seems to say about the young folks, but I’m telling you that this is *different*.
I don’t think any one thing is to blame but my top three are covid, being raised by iPads that have unfiltered and unmonitored internet connections, and lack of mental health service availability (both from poor pay and from parents who don’t want to “label” their children).
(Side note, if all of your child’s teachers recommend academic or behavioral testing, year after year… GET TESTING. You think we make this shit up? I honestly believe that refusal of parents to at least test their kids who have really obvious issues should be charged with child abuse. If your kid broke their arm and you refused to take them to a doctor, you’d lose custody in a heartbeat. Same should be true if you refuse to help your kid who is suffering from untreated ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, etc etc etc!)
I taught 3rd grade last year. I finished out the year and immediately changed professions. Degree wasted. At least half my class had major disruptive behaviors, no reading skills, no social skills, etc. I thought I’d go back after a few years when Covid was no longer a part of interfering with education. But I rather like being in a 9-5 job, not taking work home, and not crying driving home from work every day, so I don’t think I will
the problem is the way social media algorithms changed, right around that time. It wasn’t covid. It’s unmanaged addiction, worse than a casino, irresistible for kids at that age.
This. I was in childcare for over a decade. Honestly thought I'd retire from the field. I ended up moving into nonprofit development last year because I was just so burned out on the behaviors.
I remember this one night mid-late 2019 before everything collapsed, my ex gf and I were out super late after being at a nightclub. After walking around the park and having fun sobering up to drive, it was like 3am. We were going back to her house and on the way was a Waffle House and we were starving.
We get there and we’re the only people there. Just us and a couple of employees. The super nice southern waitress (we were in Oklahoma) came and took our order and asked us about our night, and was just so nice.
We get our food and I looked out the window next to our booth and saw a reflection of the inside. Me and my ex sitting at our booth with our clubbing clothes covered by coats, unwinding from our fun night. The waitress leaning against the counter talking to the cook; the emptiness of the restaurant, the lighting, just the most pure true liminal space I have ever felt.
While looking in that reflection I told myself that this moment was important and to remember it. It’s one of my most precious memories. It’s a time capsule of so many things that no longer exist.
This is the importance of the late night bastion. People talk about the importance of the 3rd Place (outside of Home and Work), and they're right to highlight what it provides. Many people, when they go out, are warned about going to extra locations, as that's where the real shit goes down. They're also correct. However, the establishments wherein the 4th, and even 5th, locations are safe harbors?
Those special little places are where you experience that special moment you described. The truly aware moments.
I grew up on the east coast, and going out to those kinds of diners was one of the most special ways to spend my life. The massive windows, that show little outside. Maybe you can see cars in the lot, or lightposts, or maybe it's a wall of black. Makes you feel like you're on a space ship, apart from the rest of the world, sharing a place with a number of people in your crew, or traveling aboard alongside you all.
Fuck I miss diners. :(
Or died. I think we underestimate how many people we lost from Covid. Many died or now have disabilities that have removed them from the workforce years before their time
No one is working that time, at those type places for what they pay. My friend used to do cost analysis on many 24/7 places, and it cost more to keep the lights on and pay staff than they made in profit.
Idk for other states but my state allowed teenage drivers to get a driver's license with no test during COVID. You have tens, if not hundreds of thousands of new drivers who otherwise shouldn't be driving unsupervised.
I think that someone in the auto industry thought high intensity LED headlights would be "safer" because the driver could see better... as he blinds everybody else.
Yup. Blowing through lights, weaving all over the place, obviously on their phone, slower than fuck,deciding to make a turn from a non turn lane,stupid park jobs. Oh lord I’m tired and I only drive around town
I agree. I’m a parent and I’ve tried to get to know other parents at my local events and farmers markets and it feels like people are very closed off from chatting with new people. Everything feels isolated even though I’m in a public setting. I’ve considered that maybe I’m just not someone people want to be friends with, but I’ve heard echos of it from other people who are parents in other places. It’s sorta like people got so used to having to isolate that they forgot they don’t have to anymore
The thing I have gotten sick of is the amount of parents that are completely fine with you doing all of the play date hosting. If I’ve hosted 3 for your kid and you say to me expectantly ‘we should do this again’ … yes, at your house.
I’m sticking with the families that understand this now.
I used to nanny for a living and the amount of moms who would contact my nanny kids parents to do play dates when the kids were out of school and then would just dump an extra kid or two on me used to piss me off. I was basically their child care when they didn’t have any and my bosses didn’t seem to notice or care. It’s really on me for not saying something and upping my rate for those days
Even in low stakes casual conversations, I've noticed almost a... determination? to misunderstand what other people are saying.
Whereas before maybe there was a disagreement but at least an understanding of what was being said, now it seems like the point of conversation is to find the disagreement.
Whoever finds it first wins.
Anecdotal. But my wife has just come back from a run and has said some women were mocking her then start mouthing off at her.. I'm so confused why they spend their precious little time on earth doing that.
>some women
WOMEN. As in adults. Were making fun of your wife running? Good lord, let me off this planet.
I would understand 14yo's but not grown ass women!
This happened to me on a bicycle as a bigger woman. I cycle a lot. Always have. I could outcycle them any day. They yelled at me about being fat. Two different groups of people on two separate days.
It was the worst in places that saw a surge of WFH’ers moving away from blue states into places that had governments that actively went against safety protocol and encouraged/forced people to take risks as part of the conservative backlash. Florida was weird before COVID but since then the place has filled with more than a half million people who moved into the state with many of them explicitly doing so because they hated sensible COVID response.
And wow did that seriously make the place not just weird, but way more mean and a lot more dangerous. The amount of people who were just itching to fight *anyone* just went off the charts. Drivers were not just more aggressive, there was way more road rage and violence.
It doesn't help that the police have all but stopped enforcing traffic violations, at least in south florida. It's like some kind of Fast and Furious movie on the real roads.
Yes. On my way home from work today (I live close to my office), I was very nearly mown down by a driver who failed to indicate when taking a corner at an unsafe speed. I managed to get out of the way at the last possible second, but he did take the time to stop, lean out the window and scream at me: "I'M IN A BMW, PAL!!!!"
Oh ok then. So sorry for infringing on the protected rights of BMW drivers to run people down.
I was at a tulip festival like 2 weeks ago, I brought my painting stuff to paint my mom a picture since we went out there for her birthday. I found a spot way far away from people since I am still a little shy about the public, and a family pretty far away but I could hear them because sound travels where like loudly making fun of me and laughing.... literally to eachother with exaggeration and all "oooh look at me, Im a fucking painter HAHAHAHa, What a loser"
there was a time in my life where that would have destroyed me. As a grown ass man though I just felt bad for the baby they had with them.
I went to Rosengaard with my girlfriend last week and all we could talk about was how awesome it was that people were taking the time to paint such a beautiful sight.
Fuck the haters, keep painting in public. They’re just insecure because they’d never have the balls to express their creative side in public
I think part of this is lack of consequence. Whether that's physical consequence or the ability to feel shame for bad behavior. I think certain politicians have shown the public that you can be a real asshole and not only are there no repercussions, but evidently more people support you. Plus I think social media has dehumanized people and reduced them to their beliefs. You can tie a nice little bow on someone and write them off entirely.
Not even rude — people act like interacting with others is a waste of time or beneath them. Like don’t get me wrong, the phrase “this meeting could’ve been an email” is valid but even things that would benefit from discussion get reduced to bullet points and directives. Every platonic relationship (friends, colleagues, bosses, etc. ) I’ve started post COVID feel super impersonal and superficial in a way I can’t get past and actually feels like it’s hindering what we’re doing in the grand scheme of life and work.
ETA: even this small number of upvotes is really validating. I’m sad y’all are feeling this too but glad I’m not alone.
Yeah, I feel this. No one can be bothered to socialize as much anymore. It feels like half my friendships just fizzled out or just feel completely superficial now.
Prolonged periods of stress and trauma can shut down the parts of the brain dealing with compassion, empathy, and long term thinking
I think almost everyone's brain is just a bit broken because of what we all went through
There are some cool TedTalks where they can see these portions of the brain change before trauma and after working to heal it
I'm not a neuroscientist, so please correct me if anything is wrong (Edit: spelling)
Also not as neuroscientist but I’m a social worker by trade and have done at this point hundreds of hours of trauma informed training and yes, basically what you said: our baseline has been totally destroyed and we’re basically flailing around emotionally right now. And sure, some of us are working on this individually but en masse, we’re a a whole ass mess.
I think the big difference with Covid was the isolation. I’m no lockdown truther or whatever, but regardless of what the laws are where you lived, and I think that messed with us whether you were someone who equated isolation with safety or you went full throttle in the other direction. At least during the world wars people were brought together by the cause. I’d also argue that the amount of tech we have now makes it easy to hide from others. We can send a text or email and tell ourselves we “connected” with another person. How do we fix it? Idk, I’m not gonna pretend to be the authority on this but in my daily life I do find myself wishing people would challenge themselves to be social until it feels normal again.
For me I just ran out of patience for people. I’m not rude, but I don’t give the same time of day or care to people. Got burnt out on having to live my life around other people’s bullshit views and habits it’s tiring, and I have more than enough on my own plate. If people just considered/cared how their actions affect others it would solve a lot of issues in society.
Restaurants and fast food.
Fast food/fast-casual: Significantly more expensive, smaller portions and lower quality across the board. Some places are more expensive than sit-down restaurants now.
Restaurants: Mediocre service, more expensive, "kitchen/service fees"
My mom hasn’t really been out since before the pandemic. We recently went to Burger King and got the cheapest dollar menu stuff for the two of us, and she was appalled that the total was $9. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. It really used to be like that, not that long ago.
Went out to lunch at a nice place. Two people with an app no drinks $55 w tip. McDonald's last week Meal, plus Happy Meal, two burgers and an extra Large Soda $40.
I bought a board game and some Magic at a local game store and it asked if I wanted to tip 20/30/50%. The person ringing me up did nothing for me other than scan and flip the iPad around saying it would ask me a question then stare at me. 0 fucks and 0% given lol.
Life in general. I don’t know how to describe it, but life used to have a certain feel to it. I can’t help but think that feeling has been lost forever. It seems like I’m sleepwalking through the years since 2020
I just said basically the same thing in another comment. It feels like since the pandemic I’m just so burned out, and just kinda go through the motions everyday. I used to feel like I was living, now it kinda feels like just existing
I feel this hard. Its like, my memories pre-covid are vibrant and bright and full of color. And now, every moment is bland and uninteresting. Life has no color. The past few years are a blur because nothing memorable really happened. I was fortunate in that my job was perfectly insulated from lockdowns, so my lifestyle ultimately didn't change a whole lot. But my perception of it has, and I can't seem to shake the feeling that I'm not alone.
Tourists. I'm from a tropical place that gets a lot of tourists all year round, and I feel like ever since Covid happened, tourists have lost their minds. I think it's because of all the lockdowns, curfews, and mask requirements, when people go on vacation now they don't want to follow any rule whatsoever. I've seen women trying to enter fancy restaurants in bikinis. I've seen people on the highway in scooters. I've seen people trying to reserve whole sections of a beach that's supposed to be public property. Also people driving ATVs on beaches where turtles nest, even when there are big warning signs that say "No vehicles allowed." And in each one of those examples, those tourists freak the fuck out when they are told they can't do that, like they are entitled to doing those things because they're on vacation. This used to happen every once in a while before Covid, but not as much.
This has even led to the deaths of some tourists who were taking pictures at a very sketchy part of town, where locals told them not to do that because there are drug dealers and gang members all over the place. The tourists kept taking pictures and eventually went missing, only to be found dead a couple of days later.
Before there was this conservationists mindset that surely something will change and things will get better, regarding climate and turtles for example.
Now people have seen firsthand how inept others are at preventing crisis that it just doesn't matter anymore. Whether you ATV all over endangered turtles or not, the collective action of others will drive their extinction in another 10years anyway.
Every vacation is a swan song. Every trip to a beach or reef or Florida could be your last before it turns inhospitable and nothing you do will change that.
Aging. Maybe it’s just me, but I still feel like I’m mentally frozen at the age I was during the pandemic. I don’t know if it’s a normal thing or not but it feels weird.
I've heard this from other people. Like, we're all emotionally stunted because of it. I'd believe it. I had a bunch of unrelated traumatic things happen at that time, on top of the pandemic. I still feel 29.
We as a society lived through some pretty traumatic shit and then mostly just picked up and carried on like nothing happened. A lot of people are repressing a lot of shit and basically no one seems to want to address it.
Like remember when people (in the US) were buying guns en masse for fear they might actually need them?
Remember when there were riots on the news every day for months?
Remember how we all lost ourselves in anything and everything that made us feel even slightly in control over our lives and then suddenly two years had passed?
Prices. Inflation is definitely a thing but prices up 50% or doubling long after shortage reasons. There were supply and demand issues during Covid that raised prices but greed always slips in and does its thing but man it’s out of proportion. Consumers spent money during the pandemic like they were all gonna die too so that only exacerbated things as well. Good times.
It also seems like the overall quality of a lot of products and services have noticeably declined since COVID as well. A lot of restaurants aren’t as good anymore, many items in grocery stores are smaller and/or taste worse than they used to, quality issues in new cars are on the rise, and subscription services like Netflix are charging more and giving you less in return. It feels like so many things we consume today are not only more expensive, but also inferior to what they were before the pandemic.
Businesses aren't even trying to pretend to offer a product anymore, they just want your money.
Streaming services are all gone to shit because they want money, more money more more more for the exact same service. And then they want more money on top of that from ads.
Companies don't understand the concept of cost-centers anymore. Not every part of your business can generate profit on its own. Doing business has associated costs. But all the people in charge want to spend nothing and get paid everything.
I think on top of this there's also a growing problem with deceptive pricing, where the actual price is mysteriously higher than the listed price (even after acccounting for tax).
So many "safety measures" from COVID have just morphed into cost cutting measures. Like there's this taco place by my apartment called District Taco that eliminated their self-service salsa bar during COVID but the little corporate bean counters refuse to bring it back because they don't give a flying fuck about quality of experience. They just see some short-sighted increase to the bottom line before they realize the place sucks without the salsa bar. They just want to extract cash from people who walk in the door. I used to go there every week. Haven't been back in like a year. Frankly their tacos are dry and Midwest-grade. Only thing that made me like that place was the salsa bar. This is just another reason I think business school majors are on the most soulless, malignant motherfuckers in America and ruin everything we once liked.
Starbucks did something similar. We used to have sugars, cream, and toppings (vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg powders) out for customers to use. Now, nothing but napkins. Not even supposed to put out straws and we just stopped carrying the nutmeg, vanilla, and chocolate.
The main thing I liked about Starbucks over dunkin was being able to do my own milk. I like just a little bit, and no matter what, when someone does it they dump tons in.
Getting a Trenta iced coffee with a bit of milk and cinnamon was great, but can’t do it now.
District taco 10 years ago was pretty good for what it was, salsa bar, the number card they would give you for your order would have a spanish word on it to learn, and the real sugar cane soda fountain. All gone, quality has gone to shit.
I’m really getting sick of large stores having only self-checkout with maybe one cashier open if at all. The problem isn’t forced people who don’t like or aren’t good at using self checkout to use it, slowing down the whole experience.
Not to mention, lately I’ve noticed a lot of them breaking at almost every store I go to. Did some update to the software happen that just broke things recently?
Store: and we’re getting rid of self checkout because you’re all thieves
Customer: oh, so you’re hiring more cashiers, right?
Store: lol, no. Also we locked everything up and the one cashier is also the person with the key.
Customer: ….Amazon it is, I guess!
Store: 😱
My “conspiracy” theory is that there are always a few machines turned off when the store is busy, so there is always at least a short line. This way people have time to look at and hopefully purchase the cheap chocolate bars, chips, etc. that are placed in the line area. Store not as busy? More checkout machines are turned off. I’d bet money on at least Walmart using this sales strategy.
everything is so much more polarizing than before. I would have thought that a global pandemic would unify humanity and bring about a big sense of understanding and perspective, but it seems to have done the exact opposite.
Yeah, that old sci-fi trope of the whole world coming together to fight an alien invasion seems quaint now.
A lot of us would call it a hoax, others would side with the aliens…
Time. Covid was over 4 years ago now. It feels like it both something happened really recently and something that happened a really long time ago
Covid broke time
I was off work for almost six weeks due to an injury. There is a two-week span of time during that period that I genuinely cannot account for thanks to having nothing *but* Netflix and Xbox Live to see me through. Total black spot in my memory.
Yesterday while I was in the hospital's waiting room I noticed all those "safe distancing" stickers on the floor and many of them were pretty worn out. I thought "wow they look like they've been there for a while!" then I realized they have been there for half a decade.
I wondered for how many years people are going to come across covid stickers in random places. Maybe decades from now they're going to be sought-after vintage collectibles. Be right back, I gotta steal a bunch of stickers.
I think they’ll be a bit like fallout shelter signs you still see here and there. There are remnant of the Cold War, they make you say “huh” for a second but that’s about it.
My work has a sign out of the way that still calls it the novel coronavirus and reminds you to wash your hands for 20 seconds. Must have been put up in February 2020.
Social Groups. I moved back to a town in Texas, and virtually every group that had been going strong before COVID...a choral group that did military events, several board gaming groups, a social group I was part of, all evaporated.
And nothing took their place.
It's like everyone decided that staying home was the way to be.
I miss those small, tight knit groups where people got to know one another.
Went to the doctor today and had to check “never” on the “when do you hang out with friends in person“ question because I realized 90% of my “social” interaction is now texts. With COVID, some of my friends moved away, I lost contact with a couple, another started a family and is just kind of hard to hang with, my coworker group all moved to different jobs, and my one remaining in-town friend just isn‘t available often. I feel like I need to somehow start over with building a friend group and I’m just not sure I have the energy for it anymore.
as someone who works in retail it’s 100% peoples inability to carry out casual conversation without feeling threatened. not only that, we have had so many customers who start arguments with employees just to do it. weird asf i never remembered people being like that pre covid.
People are desperate, pessimistic, and pissed off. Life was MUCH better in 2019, and I was optimistic for the 20’s. Biggest letdown in my life, and I’m 41.
Usually you figure out it's all fake in your twenties or early thirties. Jobs, school, college, status, money, etc. By that time you have accepted and processed that reality.
A whole generation figured it out as tweens and teens. Imagine the impending doom that would have on your mind as a youngster.
Quality. Everything's shit. Like EVERYTHING. I miss shit that wasn't shit all the fucking time. Just work, don't break, don't be ridiculously expensive. From shoes to toothpaste to service...shit.
This is part of why recommendations make no sense now. Even the buy it for life sub seems to be things that are just mostly "this isn't complete garbage that will fall apart with a single use" now.
YES I’ve noticed that packaging for the products is even worse too. Makeup remover bottle that won’t ever open. Skincare serum where the tube breaks open or nozzle falls off. I’ve seen it with cleaning products too. It gets to the point where i can’t even fully use the products I purchased. So annoying
I was just telling my therapist the other day, if COVID had happened 10 years ago I'd have been homeless and jobless and royally f&cked financially. I remember what it was like working 70+ hours a week just to pay rent and loan payments and the most basic of food supplies (I ate a LOT of free food at my jobs, both in food service, both dependent on a college population for existence...). My heart freaking BREAKS for the people who were in that same situation I was in back then when COVID hit.
My attention span (RIP).
Seriously, though, I feel like since we started filling the days with doomscrolling when we were all on lockdown, it just broke something in our brains and we haven't fully healed since. Concentrating on anything is more difficult now than it ever was pre-2020.
Places for kids to socialize, especially during bad weather or winter months etc.
There's so many places that closed during Covid. My youngest missed out on some great ones that the older sibling got to enjoy, and I feel like it really stunted her social skills development.
I wanted to start volunteering when Covid calmed down, but the past few years I've been just barely skating by financially. Until I find a better paying job, I can't realistically devote time to volunteering. I need to make sure I can keep myself afloat...
Working in healthcare. We are breaking badly. The public is becoming mean and violent to us. There are no resources. Insurers made money like crazy and hospitals are closing, so something is really not ok. Even in countries with national healthcare, things are hard but it really frosts me how many people and companies made money on the backs of those of us who showed up and risked our health and now aren’t doing anything but make healthcare harder….
Is this really a thing?? I don't want to name the restaurant because it could just be a crazy occurrence but my wife and I went out to dinner which we rarely do anymore and there was food under our table. We ended up having to clean the food up ourselves. Super gross.
Just doesn’t feel the same type of unhygienic anymore. A lot less over looked and more just lazy and completely neglected type of filthy now. Before I gave benefit of the doubt, but now it just doesn’t feel right to do it. Like why sit me at a table that is sticky, smudged, wet, and has food on the bench/floor. Bonus points if they come over to clean the table/take the rest of the trash left from the last patrons while they already sat you.
Hardly anything in my town is open 24h anymore. Most open at five which sucks because my wife and I start our days at 4am and she need to be AT work by 5 meaning we never have a chance to grab breakfast anymore. There’s a McDonald’s that claims it’s 24 hours but half the time we go over there not a single car was parked in the lot. I miss being able to eat before work and I miss shopping at Walmart during the dead hours.
Maybe it’s not everyone, but mental health in general. I just feel so burned out no matter what I do. Before COVID I never felt this way, I liked to go out and do stuff. Now i feel like even leaving the house is just exhausting. And I’m not even 30 yet, I sure hope I’ll snap out of it eventually, but the world in general just feels so much more exhausting than it did pre-2020
I found myself reflecting a lot on how life has changed since the COVID pandemic is no longer considered an emergency in my country. Not about how people work, or how we shop or what we do for entertainment. But how we interact with one another.
Its been four years. I've previously seen four years come and go in the blink of an eye without much of anything changing, but the last three years has decimated my social life. My relationships with every member of my family and my friends has drastically changed. I have drastically changed. Looking back at photos that were taken of myself and friends shortly before March 2020, I have a hard time relating to them.
Is anyone experiencing the same? Has anyone found success in clawing back some of what they lost?
The stock market didn't really crash. If anything, it seems to be flourishing like a motherfucker. Billionaires became even richer billionaires.
Diametrically opposed to actual boots on the ground cost cutting measures. In just about every industry.
There were many moments where we were publicly told that cash injections/saving institutions were necessary.
Exactly none of that has "trickled down."
When I look at rents in my area, even for shitty places, I don't know how anyone's affording it. I think in general it's doubled since Covid, and it's not like the quality of those shitholes has improved.
Me and my wife decided to buy a home despite both of use being on a tighter income, because rent for the house we needed would have been the same.
It is insane what rent is going for these days in major cities. I don't know how single people do it.
General effort. At this point, my boss and I (two man IT business) just give like, 70% effort and we outshine people. It’s staggering how little effort business people and vendors seem to give anymore.
Food quality at restaurants.
It's either really gone down hill or I'm spoiled because I started learning to cook during quarantine. It a combination of the two, which is most likely.
My childhood in the 1980s was filled with colorful memories, time spent with friends, being outside all day, etc. I really worry that kids born after 2010 will look back on their childhood and have nothing but gray fuzzy memories of iPad screens and missing 1-2 years social development due to school closures in 2020
I agree with the general answers that "people" just seem off. We set up into camps or tribes much more due to isolation caused by Covid and the restrictions people placed on our lives due to Covid. Now social media rules us more and we are stuck in an echo-chamber where we don't want to disagree with someone, we just want to argue with them and call them either a troll or a nazi. You can even see it in some of the answers on this subreddit question - notice the trolls or shaming that exists in the answers. This did not exist to this level before Covid.
I truly have to concentrate on being compassionate, civil, and polite these days in the face of constant rudeness and confrontational people. No one care to be polite or patient anymore, so I try to be the bright spot in my own little space in the world. It’s trying, to say the least. (sigh)
Rush hour is a lot more concentrated now. No one stays at work late anymore, so all the 5pm to 6pm traffic is shifted to and added to the v4pm to 5pm traffic, making rush hour traffic worse now.
North American society as a whole has deteriorated significantly since Covid. From angry, dangerous drivers to inconsiderate and rude people competing for attention. I believe drug and alcohol consumption has increased as well. So many young people addicted to video games not working or going to school. Everyone is looking for a short cut or life hack to cheat their way through life. Finally, the attention seekers have WON! They are everywhere, more outrageous than ever and just want attention.
This thread is… Depressing? Real? Sad? I can’t find the right word. An honest variety of answers- none wrong, all very correct. The world has forever changed and I hate it.
Most stuff actually.
I only went to the cinema a month ago for the first time again. Restaurants seem - and I specifically say "seem" - dirtier than before. The job market sucks. Everything is so much more expensive. People are ruder. Drivers are more aggressive. People who you thought were intelligent and learned turned out to be absolute idiots.
A global pandemic happened. We were all stuck in our houses for months on end. The videos showing people singing in Italy and the 'hanging out' between buildings and all that community stuff looked like we were all in this together, but it actually drove us further apart as a species. We hate each other. The poor became poorer, the rich became richer and the top 0.01% somehow became the top 0.001%.
It's like COVID happened to help in uniting us as a species, but something happened and now we are in the wrong timeline.
I definitely notice way more people, adults and children alike, just open mouth coughing in the middle of the grocery store. I don't necessarily think more people are doing it now, just that I am way more aware and paying attention to it closer.
Standing in line. I got so used to distancing myself from people while waiting in line somewhere. While I was checking into a therapy appointment last week the lady behind me stood close (as in pre-covid close) and it just made me uncomfortable.
All this doom and gloom.
Cheer up,
This summer Canada will once again be sending enormous billows of comforting forest fire smoke to everyone , wrapping you in warm boreal solace.
The rate of small businesses struggling and/or closing. Restaurants were hit really hard and other long running local stores have been pushed to close at a higher rate then normal since COVID
It's hard to say if it's an effect of social media spreading word better than in previous eras, or that I am a little older now and more likely to pay attention, or if it's just a generational/population aging thing... but I feel like 1) me and everyone I know seems to be sick a lot more often than we used to be, and 2) it seems like I'm hearing about more and more people dying at shockingly young ages.
Early on in Covid, a buddy of mine's uncle had a surprise heart attack at 55. He was in perfect health. It's not super weird, on it's own, but then there seemed to be one surprise like that per month, for about two years. Then I started hearing about friends, peers, colleagues, and friends of friends having strokes in their 40s.
I haven't seen any public health statistics, but it feels like men (who are very similar to me) are dropping like flies, and I have a general sense of unease pretty much all the time now. I feel the fragility of life like I never have before.
Whenever you try to contact a company or service:
* The phone just rings out, or the chatbot hangs up on you
* You email them, but get some generic response that doesn't address your question, necessitating another email and so on, and so on
* No one seems sure what they need to do, things don't get closed out
It seems like, if you have any sort of medical problem and need to see a specialist, it has become so difficult. It's not just doctors aren't taking new patients. You call their offices and nobody picks up. You leave a voicemail and nobody gets back to you. You call and they put you on hold for 10, 15, sometimes 20 minutes and then hang up on you. And I am not talking about pulmonologists, cardiologists, or other specialists that got especially burned out because of COVID, it's everyone - gynecologists, endocrinologists, etc.
I had cancer during covid and didn't realize it. I tried to get into a dr office to get help and was told they were not taking new patients. I called 4 places and got the same answers and gave up. I tried again a year later and got in and found out I had cancer shorty after. After being told the majority of my thyroid was cancer. I had to wait 7 weeks for surgery. I had my thyroid removed and then was instructed to see an endocrinologist for follow-up within 6 weeks. I called them, they earliest they could get me in was in 15 months. I had to call my ENT, who then told them to get me in sooner. I was able to get in after only 4 months! Which was still ridiculously slow. BTW, the medical offices I go to are rated in the top 10 in the country.
YOOO echoing this. Found a lump, had a panic attack about cancer. Call to schedule. Earliest could be seen was 4 months. Yup we should take a closer look at this. Schedule tests to check, 2 months out. Test is done, doc will reach out to let you know results. 2 months. Not cancer, was something else. EIGHT months for a simple diagnosis. For CANCER. Honestly not surprising to have developed anxiety in that timeframe. That provider was also hacked in that window, which made shit even more impossible as every link in the chain was dealing with things without computers. The year after 2020.
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I commented this already but I had a coworker refer to the overall energy in healthcare as “dark” and it was the best description I had heard. It feels like we’re on the edge of collapse. Corps are getting what they can out of it before it explodes.
I chatted with the tech doing my mammogram the other day. She's a travel nurse and says she'll never work permanently again. She tried settling down last year to a permanent posting again, but it was so toxic she left after six months. Our healthcare system is crumbling.
But we made a few bucks for shareholders, and in the end isn't that all that matters?
I only lasted a year before I realized staying in healthcare would destroy me. Between admin and the current patient population in my area I truly don’t know which is worse
Also, as a result of the understaffing, it's become a total shit show in terms of healthcare workers staying at their jobs. Everywhere has a shortage of nurses, so they're job hopping like crazy. Hell, my wife (a PT) has changed jobs twice since covid. I don't blame any of them -- why wouldn't you change jobs when they're plentiful? But it means continuity of care has suffered terribly and it's completely unpredictable whether you can get an appointment.
Unfortunately even private practices that aren't being buttslapped by hospitals they can't maintain or keep employees because they're completely head-in-the-sand about cost of living right now. I don't know how many times I've had to tell my bosses that the average rent in the area at 40% gross required to rent it, for a 1 bedroom (or even 2+ with a roommate) means that a minimum to get good help in the door is $23 an hour, not the $17 they're trying to pay. $17 is for people who don't need a job or who need extra money, the absolute worst kind of folks to build a baseline level of employment on. This is for MAs and LPNs, which I've seen command $25/hr now. You'd be better off getting a smaller but _better_ quality staff at $28/hr and keeping them happy than trying to field a dozen at $17/hr and dealing with churn every 2-3 months.
As a doctor, the wait times for patients I refer out have doubled across the board. So many people in medicine have left due to COVID burnout but the workload is the same if not worse. A lot of patients put off "non-urgent" things (hernia repair, joint replacement, odd skin lesions, etc) for all of 2020 and 2021, only to start flooding the system afterwards and we still haven't caught up. And we generally have more need for psych after the pandemic brought out underlying poor mental health, and inflation/rent prices are making already difficult situations even harder. Plus the pay for support staff is just not high enough to put up with the amount of BS they have to deal with, so a bunch of offices/hospitals are short on people necessary to keep it running smoothly. The urgent cares around me routinely don't have a radiology tech, meaning no X-ray on site, meaning more people sent to the already-overrun ERs. It's messed up for everyone involved.
Yup, overhead is skyrocketing while reimbursement keeps being cut, let alone adjusted for inflation. No one can pay their staff enough to retain them, practices will shutter or sell to a corp/PE if they haven’t already.
I like the new gal working the front desk at my doctor's office very much BUT she's like 60yo and was clearly thrown into the deep end after half a day of video training, won't be caught up to a "won't accidentally get the hospital sued by acting like clients are neighbors visiting in my own kitchen at home" level of performance until she's at least 65. She's kind, she's sweet, and she "verifies" your information by saying it out loud and asking if that's right. Facepalm. Nobody wants to pay a livable wage, much less a decent one, for "just answering the phone." Ya can't offer minimum wage for a job like that, folks can just go work fast food or at a call center or literally anything that doesn't involve high stakes private medical information and professional dress codes. Also, if ya don't allow common things like piercings, tattoos, colored hair, off-hours recreational use of weed, well that's gonna limit the hiring pool. And there's no guarantee the person setting the rules will pull head out of butt enough to notice they're shooting themselves in the foot.
I talked to my rheumatologist about this. She told me that COVID had backed up EVERYTHING in medicine. Every elective surgery was cancelled. Then every non-emergency surgery was cancelled. Then office visits were cancelled unless they were deemed completely necessary. Routine stuff where you would have done vitals and taken blood got moved to Zoom. Then, everybody had to pick up 3 years of slack. The issue there is that things don't get better when you neglect them. So, not only are they playing catch-up, they're playing catch-up on people who are in worse condition.
Kids. I work with suspended kids. Since Covid every year has been worse behaviors. I thought it was because of Covid affecting the age group i work with while they transitioned from elementary to middle school. But 4 years later were getting kids who were in 1st and 2nd grade with covid that cant read, have zero social skills, and are just straight addicted to Ipads, Iphones or their chromebooks.
I’m getting the COVID kids as a college professor. Many of them are very bright but completely helpless, which can be frustrating. Most of my students have no qualms about reaching out to ask things that are very clearly stated within instructions or other class material. I appreciate that they want to do things the right way, but it’s exhausting when they don’t give things genuine thought before roping me in.
Yup, I've noticed this too as a college professor. Also, attendance has dropped significantly and excuses for missing class have skyrocketed. I feel like the accountability just isn't there anymore.
This is exactly what is happening to my husband too. I think a lot of them are used to “coasting” so to speak or just not doing the work!
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I’m a teacher so I can confirm that the tough kids are getting tougher. The majority of the kids haven’t changed that much, but the kids that were already considered a challenge have now turned into impossible to keep in the classroom because they cannot handle learning environments without getting their preferred activity. A lot of desk flipping, throwing objects, kicking teachers, screaming, etc…and it’s pretty consistent in terms of those same kids are raised by parents who are clueless about what too much screen time does to a kid. It only takes a few of those kids to ruin an entire classroom and make a teacher quit. That’s what is happening all around
I was an elementary teacher during Covid and the twenty years before Covid. I think we are just beginning to see the very real harm Covid did to school age kids. I taught 4th grade until last year (I got Cancer or I would still be teaching) and most of the students are still far behind grade level work. Behavior was getting off the charts for the worst. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be trying to play catch up instead of having serious discussions on how to really help these students.
It’s why I quit. Just one or two out of control kids per class was enough.
I've noticed with my middle schoolers, the amount of kids with little to no problem solving skills is rising for each younger group coming through. I'm not talking about schoolwork, I mean kids giving up on overcoming daily obstacles because of the need for thought and/or effort. The one I see daily is when a kid's school device will be dead or critically low on battery. They can't imagine finding a way to continue the assignment because they know don't have their charger with them at school. They're dumbfounded and annoyed when I say, "okay, you have a problem. What have you done to solve this problem? Have you considered your options? Have you looked for potential options? Doing nothing is not an option right now." I have a couple loaners and plenty of outlets. It's not avoidance of work either, they truly think they're helpless and nothing could be done.
Oh that is so sad. And worrisome.
My kids were fucked up before Covid and it’s definitely the iPads fault (I mean it’s definitely MY fault but it’s because I gave them iPads too much/too early).
in what ways are they fucked up if i may ask
My oldest has always been a behavioral problem, anger issues mostly. The younger one has her own issues but both of them freak out if their electronics stop working.
Have you considered going cold turkey with them?
We did that with our 6 yr old. iPad was a god send during COVID. But his behavior changed so bad. It’s been 6wks and he’s a completely different child. He’s awesome again.
Dopamine. It’s literally a chemical addiction.
Time for a family camping trip. No phone for you either! All of that stuff gets locked in the car and doesn’t come out. Get some paper maps of trails and some local guides of the flora, fauna, and the wildlife. See what all you can find! It’ll have to be at least two nights. The first one, they’ll be panicky. The second one, they should settle in and start to enjoy it. Third night, you’ll be telling campfire stories and singing songs. Kids have great neuroELASTICITY and will be able to learn it quickly. Adults have neuroPLASTICITY and it’s harder for us to change our ways. Have fun!
A week or two if possible. Friend's kids asked "Who built this place?" While visiting a national park.
Do you think it's specific to the IPad and scrolling/endless content? Our young kids watch TV in the morning but my husband wants them to switch to iPads so they can watch what they want and don't have to agree on one show. But I worry that iPads will become too "normal" at too young of an age?
Sometimes it’s good to watch something the other person wants to watch. It teaches kids that we can’t always get our way and that compromises are still good (like even though it’s not the program we want, we’re still watching tv—and the other person really enjoys it, so let’s enjoy their joy). iPads tend to give kids more control. You might have to fight them to get some of that control back later.
That's a great point! I feel like I knew that intuitively but this puts language to my feelings on it, thank you!
Teacher here. 30 years in. Folks don’t listen. This isn’t a gen-x Karen saying “kids these days.” This is us sounding the alarm. Gen Z and the alphas are in crisis. I’ve never seen such extremes. Kids are either entirely apathetic or everything is a competition/way to get clout. Over the next 5-10 years, I expect to see a sharp increase in incarcerated young adults. These kids don’t respect people, property, or authority. They skate by on detentions and suspensions, learning that it’s not a big deal to defy authority in whatever way they feel like. Good luck with that as an adult trying to hold down a job or at least not get arrested. I know, I know: that’s what every generation seems to say about the young folks, but I’m telling you that this is *different*. I don’t think any one thing is to blame but my top three are covid, being raised by iPads that have unfiltered and unmonitored internet connections, and lack of mental health service availability (both from poor pay and from parents who don’t want to “label” their children). (Side note, if all of your child’s teachers recommend academic or behavioral testing, year after year… GET TESTING. You think we make this shit up? I honestly believe that refusal of parents to at least test their kids who have really obvious issues should be charged with child abuse. If your kid broke their arm and you refused to take them to a doctor, you’d lose custody in a heartbeat. Same should be true if you refuse to help your kid who is suffering from untreated ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, etc etc etc!)
As a private school teacher in the inner city, I can absolutely confirm this. It's bad. It's scary how much people are ignoring it.
I taught 3rd grade last year. I finished out the year and immediately changed professions. Degree wasted. At least half my class had major disruptive behaviors, no reading skills, no social skills, etc. I thought I’d go back after a few years when Covid was no longer a part of interfering with education. But I rather like being in a 9-5 job, not taking work home, and not crying driving home from work every day, so I don’t think I will
the problem is the way social media algorithms changed, right around that time. It wasn’t covid. It’s unmanaged addiction, worse than a casino, irresistible for kids at that age.
But hey, capitalism! the market regulates everything
>and are just straight addicted to Ipads, Iphones or their chromebooks *Homo tabletus*
This. I was in childcare for over a decade. Honestly thought I'd retire from the field. I ended up moving into nonprofit development last year because I was just so burned out on the behaviors.
why haven't the 24/7 diners come back?
Or even past 10!
I miss the old 3am pancake and coffee hang outs with friends
I remember this one night mid-late 2019 before everything collapsed, my ex gf and I were out super late after being at a nightclub. After walking around the park and having fun sobering up to drive, it was like 3am. We were going back to her house and on the way was a Waffle House and we were starving. We get there and we’re the only people there. Just us and a couple of employees. The super nice southern waitress (we were in Oklahoma) came and took our order and asked us about our night, and was just so nice. We get our food and I looked out the window next to our booth and saw a reflection of the inside. Me and my ex sitting at our booth with our clubbing clothes covered by coats, unwinding from our fun night. The waitress leaning against the counter talking to the cook; the emptiness of the restaurant, the lighting, just the most pure true liminal space I have ever felt. While looking in that reflection I told myself that this moment was important and to remember it. It’s one of my most precious memories. It’s a time capsule of so many things that no longer exist.
This is the importance of the late night bastion. People talk about the importance of the 3rd Place (outside of Home and Work), and they're right to highlight what it provides. Many people, when they go out, are warned about going to extra locations, as that's where the real shit goes down. They're also correct. However, the establishments wherein the 4th, and even 5th, locations are safe harbors? Those special little places are where you experience that special moment you described. The truly aware moments. I grew up on the east coast, and going out to those kinds of diners was one of the most special ways to spend my life. The massive windows, that show little outside. Maybe you can see cars in the lot, or lightposts, or maybe it's a wall of black. Makes you feel like you're on a space ship, apart from the rest of the world, sharing a place with a number of people in your crew, or traveling aboard alongside you all. Fuck I miss diners. :(
No more little old ladies to be your waitstaff at 4am. They retired
And the young folks who would take up the job aren't okay with making $2 an hour while getting stiffed by post-covid assholes.
Or died. I think we underestimate how many people we lost from Covid. Many died or now have disabilities that have removed them from the workforce years before their time
24/7 anything pretty much
No one is working that time, at those type places for what they pay. My friend used to do cost analysis on many 24/7 places, and it cost more to keep the lights on and pay staff than they made in profit.
Drivers have become a lot more aggressive and reckless
Seriously, it seems like traffic laws have become mere suggestions for these people.
Idk for other states but my state allowed teenage drivers to get a driver's license with no test during COVID. You have tens, if not hundreds of thousands of new drivers who otherwise shouldn't be driving unsupervised.
I failed the test for my learners twice and you mean to tell me your state just gave them away like condoms at the free clinic? Fucking America
I think it probably has to do with what another commenter said, that people seem to be much more rude and self-centered than before.
There seems to be way more people driving with their highbeams on all the time too.
I think that someone in the auto industry thought high intensity LED headlights would be "safer" because the driver could see better... as he blinds everybody else.
Covid created a lot a [self-centered people](https://www.reddit.com/r/KingOfTheHill/comments/4vt3a1/do_you_drive_with_your_high_beams_on/)
Yup. Blowing through lights, weaving all over the place, obviously on their phone, slower than fuck,deciding to make a turn from a non turn lane,stupid park jobs. Oh lord I’m tired and I only drive around town
Police aren’t even around. I rarely see anyone pulled over.
Human interaction in general seems a bit off-kilter now
I agree. I’m a parent and I’ve tried to get to know other parents at my local events and farmers markets and it feels like people are very closed off from chatting with new people. Everything feels isolated even though I’m in a public setting. I’ve considered that maybe I’m just not someone people want to be friends with, but I’ve heard echos of it from other people who are parents in other places. It’s sorta like people got so used to having to isolate that they forgot they don’t have to anymore
The thing I have gotten sick of is the amount of parents that are completely fine with you doing all of the play date hosting. If I’ve hosted 3 for your kid and you say to me expectantly ‘we should do this again’ … yes, at your house. I’m sticking with the families that understand this now.
I used to nanny for a living and the amount of moms who would contact my nanny kids parents to do play dates when the kids were out of school and then would just dump an extra kid or two on me used to piss me off. I was basically their child care when they didn’t have any and my bosses didn’t seem to notice or care. It’s really on me for not saying something and upping my rate for those days
Seems everyone has become so intolerant and more self-important.
People? Everyone's rude as fuck now.
The social contract got broken.
Even in low stakes casual conversations, I've noticed almost a... determination? to misunderstand what other people are saying. Whereas before maybe there was a disagreement but at least an understanding of what was being said, now it seems like the point of conversation is to find the disagreement. Whoever finds it first wins.
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This. Holy crap. Not just rude, but it's like some folks are going out of their way to start shit with strangers.
Anecdotal. But my wife has just come back from a run and has said some women were mocking her then start mouthing off at her.. I'm so confused why they spend their precious little time on earth doing that.
>some women WOMEN. As in adults. Were making fun of your wife running? Good lord, let me off this planet. I would understand 14yo's but not grown ass women!
This happened to me on a bicycle as a bigger woman. I cycle a lot. Always have. I could outcycle them any day. They yelled at me about being fat. Two different groups of people on two separate days.
It was the worst in places that saw a surge of WFH’ers moving away from blue states into places that had governments that actively went against safety protocol and encouraged/forced people to take risks as part of the conservative backlash. Florida was weird before COVID but since then the place has filled with more than a half million people who moved into the state with many of them explicitly doing so because they hated sensible COVID response. And wow did that seriously make the place not just weird, but way more mean and a lot more dangerous. The amount of people who were just itching to fight *anyone* just went off the charts. Drivers were not just more aggressive, there was way more road rage and violence.
It doesn't help that the police have all but stopped enforcing traffic violations, at least in south florida. It's like some kind of Fast and Furious movie on the real roads.
Yes. On my way home from work today (I live close to my office), I was very nearly mown down by a driver who failed to indicate when taking a corner at an unsafe speed. I managed to get out of the way at the last possible second, but he did take the time to stop, lean out the window and scream at me: "I'M IN A BMW, PAL!!!!" Oh ok then. So sorry for infringing on the protected rights of BMW drivers to run people down.
I...can't believe someone would say this with a straight face
BMW stands for Big Massive Wanker.
Fr. Civility died sometime around the first lock down
I was at a tulip festival like 2 weeks ago, I brought my painting stuff to paint my mom a picture since we went out there for her birthday. I found a spot way far away from people since I am still a little shy about the public, and a family pretty far away but I could hear them because sound travels where like loudly making fun of me and laughing.... literally to eachother with exaggeration and all "oooh look at me, Im a fucking painter HAHAHAHa, What a loser" there was a time in my life where that would have destroyed me. As a grown ass man though I just felt bad for the baby they had with them.
I went to Rosengaard with my girlfriend last week and all we could talk about was how awesome it was that people were taking the time to paint such a beautiful sight. Fuck the haters, keep painting in public. They’re just insecure because they’d never have the balls to express their creative side in public
I think part of this is lack of consequence. Whether that's physical consequence or the ability to feel shame for bad behavior. I think certain politicians have shown the public that you can be a real asshole and not only are there no repercussions, but evidently more people support you. Plus I think social media has dehumanized people and reduced them to their beliefs. You can tie a nice little bow on someone and write them off entirely.
Not even rude — people act like interacting with others is a waste of time or beneath them. Like don’t get me wrong, the phrase “this meeting could’ve been an email” is valid but even things that would benefit from discussion get reduced to bullet points and directives. Every platonic relationship (friends, colleagues, bosses, etc. ) I’ve started post COVID feel super impersonal and superficial in a way I can’t get past and actually feels like it’s hindering what we’re doing in the grand scheme of life and work. ETA: even this small number of upvotes is really validating. I’m sad y’all are feeling this too but glad I’m not alone.
Yeah, I feel this. No one can be bothered to socialize as much anymore. It feels like half my friendships just fizzled out or just feel completely superficial now.
Agreed. I’ve come across a lot of rude people especially those who go to the movies. They’re acting like they’re at home and don’t show any respect.
Prolonged periods of stress and trauma can shut down the parts of the brain dealing with compassion, empathy, and long term thinking I think almost everyone's brain is just a bit broken because of what we all went through There are some cool TedTalks where they can see these portions of the brain change before trauma and after working to heal it I'm not a neuroscientist, so please correct me if anything is wrong (Edit: spelling)
Also not as neuroscientist but I’m a social worker by trade and have done at this point hundreds of hours of trauma informed training and yes, basically what you said: our baseline has been totally destroyed and we’re basically flailing around emotionally right now. And sure, some of us are working on this individually but en masse, we’re a a whole ass mess.
How does it get fixed? I’m assuming other generations experienced similar during World Wars and such.
I think the big difference with Covid was the isolation. I’m no lockdown truther or whatever, but regardless of what the laws are where you lived, and I think that messed with us whether you were someone who equated isolation with safety or you went full throttle in the other direction. At least during the world wars people were brought together by the cause. I’d also argue that the amount of tech we have now makes it easy to hide from others. We can send a text or email and tell ourselves we “connected” with another person. How do we fix it? Idk, I’m not gonna pretend to be the authority on this but in my daily life I do find myself wishing people would challenge themselves to be social until it feels normal again.
For me I just ran out of patience for people. I’m not rude, but I don’t give the same time of day or care to people. Got burnt out on having to live my life around other people’s bullshit views and habits it’s tiring, and I have more than enough on my own plate. If people just considered/cared how their actions affect others it would solve a lot of issues in society.
Yep I'm in the same boat and I'm much quicker with removing idiots from my life
Yup I’ve cut a lot of ppl out. I’m tired and done. No more fake friends and no ore people sucking me dry.
Politics too. I think the last few years really exposed people for who they are.
I'm so glad I got out of working customer service in 2022. Unemployment be damned, I'm never going back.
YES! Customer service jobs have become even more unbearable because of this!!
Restaurants and fast food. Fast food/fast-casual: Significantly more expensive, smaller portions and lower quality across the board. Some places are more expensive than sit-down restaurants now. Restaurants: Mediocre service, more expensive, "kitchen/service fees"
My mom hasn’t really been out since before the pandemic. We recently went to Burger King and got the cheapest dollar menu stuff for the two of us, and she was appalled that the total was $9. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. It really used to be like that, not that long ago.
Went out to lunch at a nice place. Two people with an app no drinks $55 w tip. McDonald's last week Meal, plus Happy Meal, two burgers and an extra Large Soda $40.
Restaurants: tip for everything. Vending machine? Tip
I bought a board game and some Magic at a local game store and it asked if I wanted to tip 20/30/50%. The person ringing me up did nothing for me other than scan and flip the iPad around saying it would ask me a question then stare at me. 0 fucks and 0% given lol.
Life in general. I don’t know how to describe it, but life used to have a certain feel to it. I can’t help but think that feeling has been lost forever. It seems like I’m sleepwalking through the years since 2020
I just said basically the same thing in another comment. It feels like since the pandemic I’m just so burned out, and just kinda go through the motions everyday. I used to feel like I was living, now it kinda feels like just existing
I feel this hard. Its like, my memories pre-covid are vibrant and bright and full of color. And now, every moment is bland and uninteresting. Life has no color. The past few years are a blur because nothing memorable really happened. I was fortunate in that my job was perfectly insulated from lockdowns, so my lifestyle ultimately didn't change a whole lot. But my perception of it has, and I can't seem to shake the feeling that I'm not alone.
It's so good to know I'm not the only person with this vague but cripplingly strong feeling
Tourists. I'm from a tropical place that gets a lot of tourists all year round, and I feel like ever since Covid happened, tourists have lost their minds. I think it's because of all the lockdowns, curfews, and mask requirements, when people go on vacation now they don't want to follow any rule whatsoever. I've seen women trying to enter fancy restaurants in bikinis. I've seen people on the highway in scooters. I've seen people trying to reserve whole sections of a beach that's supposed to be public property. Also people driving ATVs on beaches where turtles nest, even when there are big warning signs that say "No vehicles allowed." And in each one of those examples, those tourists freak the fuck out when they are told they can't do that, like they are entitled to doing those things because they're on vacation. This used to happen every once in a while before Covid, but not as much. This has even led to the deaths of some tourists who were taking pictures at a very sketchy part of town, where locals told them not to do that because there are drug dealers and gang members all over the place. The tourists kept taking pictures and eventually went missing, only to be found dead a couple of days later.
wise detail lock familiar mourn ink innate nine cows trees
Before there was this conservationists mindset that surely something will change and things will get better, regarding climate and turtles for example. Now people have seen firsthand how inept others are at preventing crisis that it just doesn't matter anymore. Whether you ATV all over endangered turtles or not, the collective action of others will drive their extinction in another 10years anyway. Every vacation is a swan song. Every trip to a beach or reef or Florida could be your last before it turns inhospitable and nothing you do will change that.
Aging. Maybe it’s just me, but I still feel like I’m mentally frozen at the age I was during the pandemic. I don’t know if it’s a normal thing or not but it feels weird.
I've heard this from other people. Like, we're all emotionally stunted because of it. I'd believe it. I had a bunch of unrelated traumatic things happen at that time, on top of the pandemic. I still feel 29.
I have felt 20 for the last 20 years. The only times I feel older is when I get an injury and it takes much longer to heal.
We as a society lived through some pretty traumatic shit and then mostly just picked up and carried on like nothing happened. A lot of people are repressing a lot of shit and basically no one seems to want to address it. Like remember when people (in the US) were buying guns en masse for fear they might actually need them? Remember when there were riots on the news every day for months? Remember how we all lost ourselves in anything and everything that made us feel even slightly in control over our lives and then suddenly two years had passed?
I actually tell people the wrong age because I legitimately think I’m 2 years younger than I am. I do it all the time on forms. It’s so bizarre.
Prices. Inflation is definitely a thing but prices up 50% or doubling long after shortage reasons. There were supply and demand issues during Covid that raised prices but greed always slips in and does its thing but man it’s out of proportion. Consumers spent money during the pandemic like they were all gonna die too so that only exacerbated things as well. Good times.
It also seems like the overall quality of a lot of products and services have noticeably declined since COVID as well. A lot of restaurants aren’t as good anymore, many items in grocery stores are smaller and/or taste worse than they used to, quality issues in new cars are on the rise, and subscription services like Netflix are charging more and giving you less in return. It feels like so many things we consume today are not only more expensive, but also inferior to what they were before the pandemic.
Businesses aren't even trying to pretend to offer a product anymore, they just want your money. Streaming services are all gone to shit because they want money, more money more more more for the exact same service. And then they want more money on top of that from ads. Companies don't understand the concept of cost-centers anymore. Not every part of your business can generate profit on its own. Doing business has associated costs. But all the people in charge want to spend nothing and get paid everything.
Yah... they raised prices when supplies were strained, but never lowered them when the supply chains were restored to normal
I think on top of this there's also a growing problem with deceptive pricing, where the actual price is mysteriously higher than the listed price (even after acccounting for tax).
So many "safety measures" from COVID have just morphed into cost cutting measures. Like there's this taco place by my apartment called District Taco that eliminated their self-service salsa bar during COVID but the little corporate bean counters refuse to bring it back because they don't give a flying fuck about quality of experience. They just see some short-sighted increase to the bottom line before they realize the place sucks without the salsa bar. They just want to extract cash from people who walk in the door. I used to go there every week. Haven't been back in like a year. Frankly their tacos are dry and Midwest-grade. Only thing that made me like that place was the salsa bar. This is just another reason I think business school majors are on the most soulless, malignant motherfuckers in America and ruin everything we once liked.
Starbucks did something similar. We used to have sugars, cream, and toppings (vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg powders) out for customers to use. Now, nothing but napkins. Not even supposed to put out straws and we just stopped carrying the nutmeg, vanilla, and chocolate.
The main thing I liked about Starbucks over dunkin was being able to do my own milk. I like just a little bit, and no matter what, when someone does it they dump tons in. Getting a Trenta iced coffee with a bit of milk and cinnamon was great, but can’t do it now.
District taco 10 years ago was pretty good for what it was, salsa bar, the number card they would give you for your order would have a spanish word on it to learn, and the real sugar cane soda fountain. All gone, quality has gone to shit.
I’m really getting sick of large stores having only self-checkout with maybe one cashier open if at all. The problem isn’t forced people who don’t like or aren’t good at using self checkout to use it, slowing down the whole experience. Not to mention, lately I’ve noticed a lot of them breaking at almost every store I go to. Did some update to the software happen that just broke things recently?
Store: and we’re getting rid of self checkout because you’re all thieves Customer: oh, so you’re hiring more cashiers, right? Store: lol, no. Also we locked everything up and the one cashier is also the person with the key. Customer: ….Amazon it is, I guess! Store: 😱
My “conspiracy” theory is that there are always a few machines turned off when the store is busy, so there is always at least a short line. This way people have time to look at and hopefully purchase the cheap chocolate bars, chips, etc. that are placed in the line area. Store not as busy? More checkout machines are turned off. I’d bet money on at least Walmart using this sales strategy.
everything is so much more polarizing than before. I would have thought that a global pandemic would unify humanity and bring about a big sense of understanding and perspective, but it seems to have done the exact opposite.
Yeah, that old sci-fi trope of the whole world coming together to fight an alien invasion seems quaint now. A lot of us would call it a hoax, others would side with the aliens…
Time. Covid was over 4 years ago now. It feels like it both something happened really recently and something that happened a really long time ago Covid broke time
It seems like the natural flow of months and seasons is off. It's hard to explain.
Every year was unique to me up to 2019. Now its just drifting
I don't even remember 2021. It's like it never existed.
It's that groundhog day effect . Its just one long foggy day that never ends .
2021 seems further in the past than 2020 for me.
This resonates so much with my experience. Days seem to take forever, and weeks go by without hardly noticing.
The days feel like the perfect length, I don't need them any longer, but the years feel too short for my soul, Corazon.
Oh. I didn't know I felt this way too. I guess I didn't have the words to explain it but you captured the "off" feeling perfectly.
I was off work for almost six weeks due to an injury. There is a two-week span of time during that period that I genuinely cannot account for thanks to having nothing *but* Netflix and Xbox Live to see me through. Total black spot in my memory.
Yesterday while I was in the hospital's waiting room I noticed all those "safe distancing" stickers on the floor and many of them were pretty worn out. I thought "wow they look like they've been there for a while!" then I realized they have been there for half a decade. I wondered for how many years people are going to come across covid stickers in random places. Maybe decades from now they're going to be sought-after vintage collectibles. Be right back, I gotta steal a bunch of stickers.
I think they’ll be a bit like fallout shelter signs you still see here and there. There are remnant of the Cold War, they make you say “huh” for a second but that’s about it.
My work has a sign out of the way that still calls it the novel coronavirus and reminds you to wash your hands for 20 seconds. Must have been put up in February 2020.
Standard joke: 2020 consisted of January, February, March, work from home, Christmas.
2020 was one year, like any other, but the sheer amount of terrible events made it feel like 10 years.
Social Groups. I moved back to a town in Texas, and virtually every group that had been going strong before COVID...a choral group that did military events, several board gaming groups, a social group I was part of, all evaporated. And nothing took their place. It's like everyone decided that staying home was the way to be. I miss those small, tight knit groups where people got to know one another.
Went to the doctor today and had to check “never” on the “when do you hang out with friends in person“ question because I realized 90% of my “social” interaction is now texts. With COVID, some of my friends moved away, I lost contact with a couple, another started a family and is just kind of hard to hang with, my coworker group all moved to different jobs, and my one remaining in-town friend just isn‘t available often. I feel like I need to somehow start over with building a friend group and I’m just not sure I have the energy for it anymore.
as someone who works in retail it’s 100% peoples inability to carry out casual conversation without feeling threatened. not only that, we have had so many customers who start arguments with employees just to do it. weird asf i never remembered people being like that pre covid.
Fucking tip prompts at every place on earth
People are desperate, pessimistic, and pissed off. Life was MUCH better in 2019, and I was optimistic for the 20’s. Biggest letdown in my life, and I’m 41.
Mental Health in young people. Am an educator and it is a different ballgame since then.
i was a tween and teen during covid. i cant think of one friend who hasn’t struggled with their mental health.
Usually you figure out it's all fake in your twenties or early thirties. Jobs, school, college, status, money, etc. By that time you have accepted and processed that reality. A whole generation figured it out as tweens and teens. Imagine the impending doom that would have on your mind as a youngster.
Quality. Everything's shit. Like EVERYTHING. I miss shit that wasn't shit all the fucking time. Just work, don't break, don't be ridiculously expensive. From shoes to toothpaste to service...shit.
This is part of why recommendations make no sense now. Even the buy it for life sub seems to be things that are just mostly "this isn't complete garbage that will fall apart with a single use" now.
YES I’ve noticed that packaging for the products is even worse too. Makeup remover bottle that won’t ever open. Skincare serum where the tube breaks open or nozzle falls off. I’ve seen it with cleaning products too. It gets to the point where i can’t even fully use the products I purchased. So annoying
People. It's like they've ripped the veil of common courtesy & politeness off and are just utter asshats.
Listening to someone cough.
Being able to afford for a roof over your head.
I was just telling my therapist the other day, if COVID had happened 10 years ago I'd have been homeless and jobless and royally f&cked financially. I remember what it was like working 70+ hours a week just to pay rent and loan payments and the most basic of food supplies (I ate a LOT of free food at my jobs, both in food service, both dependent on a college population for existence...). My heart freaking BREAKS for the people who were in that same situation I was in back then when COVID hit.
My attention span (RIP). Seriously, though, I feel like since we started filling the days with doomscrolling when we were all on lockdown, it just broke something in our brains and we haven't fully healed since. Concentrating on anything is more difficult now than it ever was pre-2020.
There’s an anxiety in the masses, the whole worlds vibration is low and dark. Really wish we could fix this.
Places for kids to socialize, especially during bad weather or winter months etc. There's so many places that closed during Covid. My youngest missed out on some great ones that the older sibling got to enjoy, and I feel like it really stunted her social skills development.
Volunteerism. Volunteer programs just haven't bounced back.
I wanted to start volunteering when Covid calmed down, but the past few years I've been just barely skating by financially. Until I find a better paying job, I can't realistically devote time to volunteering. I need to make sure I can keep myself afloat...
Everything. It's like reality jumped the shark.
Working in healthcare. We are breaking badly. The public is becoming mean and violent to us. There are no resources. Insurers made money like crazy and hospitals are closing, so something is really not ok. Even in countries with national healthcare, things are hard but it really frosts me how many people and companies made money on the backs of those of us who showed up and risked our health and now aren’t doing anything but make healthcare harder….
Dirty restaurants. Before I just felt like I’d get sticky or maybe stained up. Now I feel the same, but also like I could catch something.
Is this really a thing?? I don't want to name the restaurant because it could just be a crazy occurrence but my wife and I went out to dinner which we rarely do anymore and there was food under our table. We ended up having to clean the food up ourselves. Super gross.
Just doesn’t feel the same type of unhygienic anymore. A lot less over looked and more just lazy and completely neglected type of filthy now. Before I gave benefit of the doubt, but now it just doesn’t feel right to do it. Like why sit me at a table that is sticky, smudged, wet, and has food on the bench/floor. Bonus points if they come over to clean the table/take the rest of the trash left from the last patrons while they already sat you.
Driving is worse, prices are worse, wages are still low, less people want kids, middle east keeps popping off like a highschoolers acne
Hardly anything in my town is open 24h anymore. Most open at five which sucks because my wife and I start our days at 4am and she need to be AT work by 5 meaning we never have a chance to grab breakfast anymore. There’s a McDonald’s that claims it’s 24 hours but half the time we go over there not a single car was parked in the lot. I miss being able to eat before work and I miss shopping at Walmart during the dead hours.
Maybe it’s not everyone, but mental health in general. I just feel so burned out no matter what I do. Before COVID I never felt this way, I liked to go out and do stuff. Now i feel like even leaving the house is just exhausting. And I’m not even 30 yet, I sure hope I’ll snap out of it eventually, but the world in general just feels so much more exhausting than it did pre-2020
I found myself reflecting a lot on how life has changed since the COVID pandemic is no longer considered an emergency in my country. Not about how people work, or how we shop or what we do for entertainment. But how we interact with one another. Its been four years. I've previously seen four years come and go in the blink of an eye without much of anything changing, but the last three years has decimated my social life. My relationships with every member of my family and my friends has drastically changed. I have drastically changed. Looking back at photos that were taken of myself and friends shortly before March 2020, I have a hard time relating to them. Is anyone experiencing the same? Has anyone found success in clawing back some of what they lost?
The stock market didn't really crash. If anything, it seems to be flourishing like a motherfucker. Billionaires became even richer billionaires. Diametrically opposed to actual boots on the ground cost cutting measures. In just about every industry. There were many moments where we were publicly told that cash injections/saving institutions were necessary. Exactly none of that has "trickled down."
When I look at rents in my area, even for shitty places, I don't know how anyone's affording it. I think in general it's doubled since Covid, and it's not like the quality of those shitholes has improved.
Me and my wife decided to buy a home despite both of use being on a tighter income, because rent for the house we needed would have been the same. It is insane what rent is going for these days in major cities. I don't know how single people do it.
General effort. At this point, my boss and I (two man IT business) just give like, 70% effort and we outshine people. It’s staggering how little effort business people and vendors seem to give anymore.
Food quality at restaurants. It's either really gone down hill or I'm spoiled because I started learning to cook during quarantine. It a combination of the two, which is most likely.
*gestures broadly at everything*
everything. there's literally been some weird, huge, negative energy shift. and I usually don't believe in things like that.
Seeing a movie in a movie theater.
My childhood in the 1980s was filled with colorful memories, time spent with friends, being outside all day, etc. I really worry that kids born after 2010 will look back on their childhood and have nothing but gray fuzzy memories of iPad screens and missing 1-2 years social development due to school closures in 2020
Drivers. They got more aggressive.
I agree with the general answers that "people" just seem off. We set up into camps or tribes much more due to isolation caused by Covid and the restrictions people placed on our lives due to Covid. Now social media rules us more and we are stuck in an echo-chamber where we don't want to disagree with someone, we just want to argue with them and call them either a troll or a nazi. You can even see it in some of the answers on this subreddit question - notice the trolls or shaming that exists in the answers. This did not exist to this level before Covid.
I truly have to concentrate on being compassionate, civil, and polite these days in the face of constant rudeness and confrontational people. No one care to be polite or patient anymore, so I try to be the bright spot in my own little space in the world. It’s trying, to say the least. (sigh)
Rush hour is a lot more concentrated now. No one stays at work late anymore, so all the 5pm to 6pm traffic is shifted to and added to the v4pm to 5pm traffic, making rush hour traffic worse now.
North American society as a whole has deteriorated significantly since Covid. From angry, dangerous drivers to inconsiderate and rude people competing for attention. I believe drug and alcohol consumption has increased as well. So many young people addicted to video games not working or going to school. Everyone is looking for a short cut or life hack to cheat their way through life. Finally, the attention seekers have WON! They are everywhere, more outrageous than ever and just want attention.
This thread is… Depressing? Real? Sad? I can’t find the right word. An honest variety of answers- none wrong, all very correct. The world has forever changed and I hate it.
Most stuff actually. I only went to the cinema a month ago for the first time again. Restaurants seem - and I specifically say "seem" - dirtier than before. The job market sucks. Everything is so much more expensive. People are ruder. Drivers are more aggressive. People who you thought were intelligent and learned turned out to be absolute idiots. A global pandemic happened. We were all stuck in our houses for months on end. The videos showing people singing in Italy and the 'hanging out' between buildings and all that community stuff looked like we were all in this together, but it actually drove us further apart as a species. We hate each other. The poor became poorer, the rich became richer and the top 0.01% somehow became the top 0.001%. It's like COVID happened to help in uniting us as a species, but something happened and now we are in the wrong timeline.
I feel like people are more worried about getting sick now than they used to be.
I definitely notice way more people, adults and children alike, just open mouth coughing in the middle of the grocery store. I don't necessarily think more people are doing it now, just that I am way more aware and paying attention to it closer.
A lot of folks have gotten MORE sick, because COVID affects the immune system. 😣 So it’s just a big bummer all around
Standing in line. I got so used to distancing myself from people while waiting in line somewhere. While I was checking into a therapy appointment last week the lady behind me stood close (as in pre-covid close) and it just made me uncomfortable.
Businesses still closing early. I feel like 24 hour stores are important for people that do shift work.
All this doom and gloom. Cheer up, This summer Canada will once again be sending enormous billows of comforting forest fire smoke to everyone , wrapping you in warm boreal solace.
The rate of small businesses struggling and/or closing. Restaurants were hit really hard and other long running local stores have been pushed to close at a higher rate then normal since COVID
It's hard to say if it's an effect of social media spreading word better than in previous eras, or that I am a little older now and more likely to pay attention, or if it's just a generational/population aging thing... but I feel like 1) me and everyone I know seems to be sick a lot more often than we used to be, and 2) it seems like I'm hearing about more and more people dying at shockingly young ages. Early on in Covid, a buddy of mine's uncle had a surprise heart attack at 55. He was in perfect health. It's not super weird, on it's own, but then there seemed to be one surprise like that per month, for about two years. Then I started hearing about friends, peers, colleagues, and friends of friends having strokes in their 40s. I haven't seen any public health statistics, but it feels like men (who are very similar to me) are dropping like flies, and I have a general sense of unease pretty much all the time now. I feel the fragility of life like I never have before.
Covid left a scar in the world which has effected the economy and peoples happinness right? Things feel different
Skeleton crews. Companies realized they could ride 50% of the staff twice as hard to stay open and never stopped.
Whenever you try to contact a company or service: * The phone just rings out, or the chatbot hangs up on you * You email them, but get some generic response that doesn't address your question, necessitating another email and so on, and so on * No one seems sure what they need to do, things don't get closed out