> At the time, people argued with me and said that the short-term gains were worth more than the long-term detriment, but increasingly, people seem to have realized that they were wrong they underestimated the cost and, they poorly predicted how they would feel about the outcomes.

Some of the lockdowns were necessary at the time in my opinion, but without doubt the long term impact on people and how they interact and how they feel and their general mental health was not considered enough. There should have been more about encouraging people to get outside in the fresh air more and still meet people but in a safer outdoor setting.

> I believe that through the lockdowns and the changes in cultural behavior toward interacting with each other, a large number of people were forced into a type of isolation, where the already tenuous connections we have to each other, were rapidly eroded even further. 

Very eloquently put and I agree with you, many people are now struggling to get back to the same levels of social interactions as before and as you say in smaller more immediate circles than before.

I truly feel for the younger people especially who had to live through that time, those who were anywhere from 13 to 30 suffered the most and within that subset those between 16 and 22. I hope that it does not affect them for life.

Hi Taraz, on the picture I see a butterfly shape. It’s pretty cool 👍
As for the mental health issues during Covid time, well it’s been terrible times. I’ve experienced it at our local school where even teachers wouldn’t want to work closely with special need kids. So those years for us were big regression time. Also our condition which called Selective Mutism is not covered by insurances and the therapists who specialize in it don’t take insurances because it’s hard for them getting money from those insurance companies. The service itself is very expensive. So yes even without Covid mental health services are some area where better work needs to be done:-(

Let me start by stating I am not a conspiracy theorist (not a massive one), but reading your post reminds me of one too many dystopic futures depicted in so many books and films whereby the general populace is herded like sheep and controlled. 

Perhaps everything everything we have seen in the last 10-15 years have been working to this future of isolation. The internet, social media, the threat of domestic and global conflict, reality shows, Covid & the lockdowns.

I was already in the process of isolating myself when the lockdowns struck. I did that deliberately and mostly knowingly, because of the demands of my personal process. Like you, when I realized others were going through the same things, I saw where all that was going to end up for the majority of people: massive disconnection and a general decline in mental health. I also agree that it's going to get worse in the years to come.

However, I see that there's an opportunity coupled with the challenges. What you mentioned about people seeking out strangers to connect with (what most of us are doing on Hive, for instance) might be the saving grace of this process. Necessity is making us lower our defenses and reach out to people we wouldn't have otherwise. Despite all the struggles that are arising from the global situation, this at least is something that I find extremely positive, because it diminishes the relevance of identity differences and increases the possibility for great human empathy and hence, global understanding. It's what I'm focusing on, in any case, and why I'd decided to seek isolation willingly in the first place.

For me, getting out and seeing friends at live music events and afterward is always the perfect remedy. So many familiar faces over the years, all depending on the different type of artists playing. And there is also my supporters club for Chelsea football, we are having a tough go but misery loves company and it is a good time sharing the matches with mates. I really need to get back to some recreational sports teams, but between vacation, availability and price in NYC- I have been making excuses.

Those are the two main activities to see people out in the world besides all the strangers who abound in Brooklyn and New York City on my way to doing all the things to get through my 100% work-from-home life. Family pokes around every month or so since my parents are the reason I came back to New York in the first place. I really do enjoy the social attention, so I'm all for increasing the interaction rates!

At first I thought I saw a  face of a dog but I no longer see it. 

For better or for worse I don't think that lockdowns affected me as much as other people. I was already quite isolated before that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIcshB711U

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***What I see*** is more or less the same as what you have said, Sir.

There have been many changes in the pattern of societal behavior. I am very interested in the interaction patterns of young people these days. that advances in communication technology (smartphones in hand) have really distanced them from the people who were actually in front of them.
Young people seem to be more focused and having fun interacting with people they don't know at all in the virtual world; they all act that way, and they don't even talk to each other anymore in their real world.

***What I feel*** is a very deep concern that social systems on all continents will change and that humans as social beings will be reduced by the fatal mistakes that we make ourselves. 

Let's fix it together, especially starting with our own family.

It doesn't take many people with *nothing to live for* to become problematic for existing power structures. 
For a couple of years now, I've had this mental image of an angry young man, maybe an incel; driving somewhere to kill himself, and coming across an RBT (Random breath test/DUI stop).
Rightly or wrongly he blames the system for his woes; and with nothing to lose he just accelerates and runs them all over. Like any suicide, it doesn't have to be a 'good' idea for long.
It would normally be an isolated incident, but with enough anti-authority sentiment in the community; we see a few instathots praising his actions while shaking their cleavage at the camera. Suddenly there's a new National pass-time. 

We had a shooting in Qld late last year, a throuple, their neighbour and two cops all died. If that had happened 20 years ago, the community outrage and displays of support for the police would've been overwhelming. 

Nobody I've spoken to appears to care. Like at all. A newsreader mentioned candlelight vigils, but I never saw footage. 

Next time the politicians demand the police enforce lockdowns, I really hope they're told to pound sand. For everyone's sake.

I was shocked the first time someone said "It has started to feel normal to me." Normal?! Not being at the bedside of a dying person is normal?! Not letting your kids share their toys is normal?! Not breathing freely is normal?! Small businesses closing in normal?! 

>I suspect that this period in the last few years has led to the greatest reduction in wellbeing in the history of the world

We participated in our own demise. Not all of us though. 

The next time we are told to harm ourselves for the good of all, I hope more of us say "No thanks, that's not my lifestyle choice." 

Mmmm I start by saying that in the photo I see a walnut heh heh!

Seriously, yours is an examination that goes very deep and offers many food for thought.

I agree with you in thinking that if we don't take the trouble to do the best for ourselves we will be forced to sink; I've actually always done it by design, obviously in complicated periods like this a greater commitment is required and also an accentuated lateral vision.

From a relationship point of view, I believe that the pandemic has changed many things, not all for the better but not for the worse either... I simply believe that for some minds it has served to reawaken many things and also as a stimulus to improve and always do so faster because the thing begins to be perceived as a necessity.

It is also true that for many people who live in mediocrity and who do not make an effort to improve themselves, the effect has been the opposite.
For some things when it's not beautiful and maybe a little raw, natural selection is running its course; however, on the other hand, we have all the tools to evolve so in the end everything boils down to personal responsibility (obviously there are things over which we have no control and structures superior to us, but I think it is important to focus on what we can influence and for the rest, hoping for the best... focusing on what we can't control can be a waste of precious energy).

Thanks as always!🤗

Hmm I think people used to be nicer, versus now. When I started out working, I felt that the sense of camaraderie was stronger within bosses and colleagues and most of us were just looking out for one another. These days, I felt that everyone is just trying to outperform one another to get that promotion, or worse still, sabotage or backstab another person just to get ahead. Maybe globalisation has made everything move at a faster pace, maybe cost of living have gone up and people are struggling to earn more income to make ends meet, maybe it's the social media... That said, I think it is still possible to find like-minded friends or just a reliable listening ear, just that it's harder these days.

I see that you post twice a day and I get both notifications. I feel that you are on point with you analysis. With COVID, i plunged into home ownership and I have the burden to make prudent financial and investment decisions that I did not do all me life until now. Having a new born in the same time frame added to the pressure I already had.
So far, I have managed it quite well. But, things are beginning to look malign in many different ways. Reading about others experience helps a lot because it gives you a real life mirror to look into. It also gives you hope and ways to deal with the pressure. I am trying.

> short-term gains were worth more than the long-term detriment

I'm boring and unimaginative so the only case I can think of where this would be true is suffering some long term injury to prevent death or the same or death happening to someone else, and even that would require some intense calculation.

I guess all we can do is keep pushing back and people while either realise it's stupid and also push back or everything will go to hell in a handbasket.

Hello tarazkp 
It's absolutely true. After COVID 19 we are going down in every aspect. Moral value has become worse. You have mentioned many points. To me the most harmful is insecurity in earning. We should fight the difficult situation; otherwise situation could be the worst. We should not think we are normal now.

Also in my country, nothing seems to have returned normal as in the pre-pandemic era. Many people are unhappy, rarely smile, look like they have mental problems. Economic crisis as well as pandemic have caused us to lose our composure.