If all goes to plan, vaccines might spring us from our digital purgatory by late summer. Some of us will hurl ourselves into the messy, rich world of in-person sociality. But others will have grown accustomed to the algorithmic comfort of Netflix and dinners dropped silently on the porch — and might not be so quick leave them behind.
One way lies the potential for national healing, the other a continuation of our national crackup.
To be sure, Zoom, smartphones and social media have allowed many to remain healthy, sane, employed and somewhat connected during the covid-19 pandemic. But these nine months of tech dependency have also accelerated a less-welcome process long underway: the atrophy of our friend-making muscles. That has deeper implications than you might think.