We think loneliness is in our heads, butits source lies in the ruinof civil society.

In 2019, I found that the Tech Model Railroad Club (famously associated withearly computer hackers) was almost dead. A few years before members had beenvigorously developing it. I told Professor Sussman, and he told me that severalyears before, most incoming MIT freshmen had lost interest in physical hobbiesand activities (model railroading being one). We both speculated thatwidespread use of snoop-phones and antisocial media platforms, which wereaddictive to social groups, helped to bring that change about.

A decrease in Americans' use of those systems might perhaps expand the space for civil society.