disappearance of 3rd places

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: disappearance of 3rd places 📱 

“3rd places” is a term coined by ray oldenburg. it refers to social spaces away from home and work/school that serve as physical hubs for people to relax and connect with one another.

these spaces play a vital role in fostering community and social connectedness, and have taken the form of clubs, cafés, parks, temples, and more over the years. 🏞️ they are a “home away from home” and an opportunity to experience the serendipity of beautiful chance encounters.

as amazing as technology is, it has significantly contributed to the disappearance of such spaces. with huge tv screens, video calling, and instagram stories, why bother going out to meet strangers and form in-person connections when i can do that from the comfort of my bed? 🛏️ 

this has only further contributed to the loneliness epidemic. yes, online communities are a great way to meet so many different people from all around the world, and this has only been made possible by technology. however, society still needs physical third places where chance encounters can lead to discovering new perspectives and uncovering commonalities between strangers.

i’m not going to only blame technology though, poor urban planning also holds much of the blame of disappearing 3rd places. in north america, there are little to no walkable cities and that is extremely detrimental for social connection. 🚶‍♂️ we just drive from one place to another without opening ourselves up for discovering an existing 3rd place or potential new friend.

3rd places are magical and truly foster feelings of community. just imagine walking into a coffee shop and the baristas know you by your name and coffee order — it’s so warm. in-person face time is vital to humans, so go find a 3rd place, the internet isn’t good enough.

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