In the year 2025, we can "connect" with an seemingly unlimited number of people.

On YouTube, there are millions of unique channels, with more being created every single day. After "getting to know you", the YouTube algorithm can recommend and "introduce" you to new content creators better than any real person could.

Or consider a platform like X that has hundreds of millions of active monthly users, each of whom are adding to an unlimited number of conversations. Knowing you well, the X algorithm can present you with the threads you're most likely to resonate with.

Reading the comments is oftentimes even more interesting than the content itself.

Even though you don't know the identities or life stories of these random souls, their comments can offer you deep insight or a unique perspective that you had never considered before, making you wish you could connect with them in the real world.

Think about how centuries, or even decades ago, it would have been impossible to "meet" or interact with so many people who can share their experiences, ideas and insights with you.

Even celebrities who seemed unreachable decades ago can now be interacted with directly on various social media platforms. We are "connecting" with each other on a level never experienced before in human history.

But do these digital connections leave us feeling fulfilled, or empty?

The "Good Old Days"

Compare today's social media era to just a few decades ago, when we were limited to truly resonating with just a few people in our lives, because the opportunities for genuine connection were so few and far between.

Back then our interactions occurred mainly by chance. For example, someone happened to sit beside you in science class, or a conversation sparked up at the local park, and you happened to relate to those people, their energy, and their ideas.

There were no smartphones or algorithms that allowed you to swipe constantly from one video to the next, assisting you find individuals on a global scale who you connect with.

Deteriorating Real World Connections

Maybe this new technology is why we seem to be valuing real world connections less and less these days.

Over the past decade or so, people have become less friendly and cordial in the real world. Perhaps this is because we have become so immersed in our digital lives, where we get more "connections" and stimulation than the real world could ever offer us.

When you think about it, the probability of meeting someone in real life who is as like-minded as the people presented to you by the algorithms (that probably know you better than you know yourself) is quite low.

Consciousness Links Us All

Despite the negative ramifications on real world interactions, social media has made us more aware of just how many conscious souls there are "out there", and the rich variety of perspectives and insights we collectively have.

Regardless of whether you connect with someone in real life or online, one thing that we all share in common is our consciousness - the awareness of our five senses, our thoughts, and our feelings.

And if you think about it (or meditate on it), "your" consciousness may not be any different from "my" consciousness. In fact, it could be the one thing that transcends all of our varying experiences, ideas and opinions.

Until next time...

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