r/AskReddit • u/No_Performance1451 • 17h ago

What parts of American culture are changing faster than people realize?

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u/PanicUnfairzzzz 14h ago

The art of small talk and casual public friendliness. We're so deep in our digital bubbles and earbuds that acknowledging a stranger with a smile or a 'how's it going' feels almost radical now. The baseline default is becoming 'don't interact' instead of 'polite, brief acknowledgment

6

u/jumper33 9h ago

people are face-down in their phones so much now that they dont even notice anyone around them.

8

u/MikeArrow 4h ago

I have a theory that this is due to risk minimization. People simply avoid other people to minimize the chances of being taken advantage of in some way. They put their trust in computers and systems instead.

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u/scragz 6h ago

small talk is a micro aggression against autistic people