I miss the communal pull of smoking. It wasn’t always going outside to smoke though. Before then you just lit up where you were and didn’t have to talk to strangers. Although asking for a light was a perpetual meet cute. Now I just talk to people in elevators to watch them squirm.
I remember back in college a group of us in one of my literature classes (I was an English major) would stand outside the building before and after class smoking and debating the merits of whatever book or poem we happened to be reading for class. It was always easy to find someone to light up with and talk to. I think a big problem today is the lack of third spaces. We have very few places we can go and socialize.
Plenty of critics will hit back with "there's nothing stopping you from doing that now", but there clearly is. Firstly, everyone is straight onto their phones after class to see what absolutely critical information they've missed! Secondly, you have to arrange it to stop people running off to the next thing, whereas smoking was a natural, unspoken pause that lasted the lengths of a cigarette. It required no planning and, in it's way, was quite meditative and naturally slowed the pace of the day, allowing thoughts to sink in and conversations to emerge. Thanks for contributing.
I've never been a smoker, but have felt the impacts of smartphones on our social lives. It's beyond frustrating when everyone is in their phones, and even if you try having a conversation with them, they're only half listening. I am so grateful for the people I come across who can put down their phones and actually listen. Thankfully, I think more and more people are starting to realize this and switch to more analog/old fashioned ways of hanging out and slowing down. Fingers crossed this continues and we start creating more community and third spaces start popping up naturally.
I think you’re right, the novelty of our constant companion is wearing off. My Gen A daughter - who was born in to a world of screens - finds them dull and would far rather play outside or with our cat or craft things and many of her friends seem the same. Social media usage is slowly declining as AI slops invades out feeds so maybe the pendulum is swinging back towards reality 🤞🤞🤞
I miss the communal pull of smoking. It wasn’t always going outside to smoke though. Before then you just lit up where you were and didn’t have to talk to strangers. Although asking for a light was a perpetual meet cute. Now I just talk to people in elevators to watch them squirm.
The time interval known as the “cigarette break” has vanished. Replaced by a quick, furtive pull on the vape pen.
There’s no romance to a vape pen 😞
Ha! An interesting perspective. Here’s another one I wrote about: https://anaromaticlife.substack.com/p/the-loneliness-epidemic-has-a-smell?r=f0cnm&utm_medium=ios
I remember back in college a group of us in one of my literature classes (I was an English major) would stand outside the building before and after class smoking and debating the merits of whatever book or poem we happened to be reading for class. It was always easy to find someone to light up with and talk to. I think a big problem today is the lack of third spaces. We have very few places we can go and socialize.
Plenty of critics will hit back with "there's nothing stopping you from doing that now", but there clearly is. Firstly, everyone is straight onto their phones after class to see what absolutely critical information they've missed! Secondly, you have to arrange it to stop people running off to the next thing, whereas smoking was a natural, unspoken pause that lasted the lengths of a cigarette. It required no planning and, in it's way, was quite meditative and naturally slowed the pace of the day, allowing thoughts to sink in and conversations to emerge. Thanks for contributing.
I've never been a smoker, but have felt the impacts of smartphones on our social lives. It's beyond frustrating when everyone is in their phones, and even if you try having a conversation with them, they're only half listening. I am so grateful for the people I come across who can put down their phones and actually listen. Thankfully, I think more and more people are starting to realize this and switch to more analog/old fashioned ways of hanging out and slowing down. Fingers crossed this continues and we start creating more community and third spaces start popping up naturally.
I think you’re right, the novelty of our constant companion is wearing off. My Gen A daughter - who was born in to a world of screens - finds them dull and would far rather play outside or with our cat or craft things and many of her friends seem the same. Social media usage is slowly declining as AI slops invades out feeds so maybe the pendulum is swinging back towards reality 🤞🤞🤞