The Midnight Coyote

Why are there no more places to simply hang out anymore? For a lot of Americans under 30 this is a real issue. When asked, “Where do you want to hang out?” Several options immediately come to mind such as: bars, restaurants, movies, malls, etc. All great options, but what if you don’t really have money and live with your parents still? As anybody under the age of 30 in that situation will tell you(myself included), that this a reality for the majority of people 29 and under right now. So where can you hang out? A typical night out of getting drinks, food, maybe a movie or another activity, has become easily a night where you are spending a decent chunk of change, making these kinds of activities and nights few and far between, and with the rising cost of everything making them even fewer and further. So where else can we go? Malls are dying, public spaces are decreasing and the ones that still exist only function to squeeze every last dollar out of visitors, cafes sell you overpriced coffee, and when you are finished with your cup buy another or get out. The only places left are libraries and public parks, the cornerstone of every young person’s dream day out. Everywhere you go you feel like a trespasser and loiterer unless you are handing somebody money. We have nowhere to go and be together and not be squeezed out every dime in my pocket and it is making us lonelier than ever. All we have left to be together is digital and online spaces. As much as people might say and claim over the years that online friends are real friends(not saying that they aren’t) and just as good as in-person friends, I feel that the truth has become evident to me, they are not. We are natural creatures born of the earth and spent millions of years evolving and developing as humans, but for the last 20 years, we have increasingly challenged this notion with our adoption of digital spaces. But to me, it feels like a pale imitation. Being online and interacting with my friends and family in a digital environment is much better than nothing, but can never compare to the simple human experience of being in person with people(crazy thought right?). But i feel as if this notion is starting to become less and less popular as time moves on and younger people grow up with more and more advanced technologies. I already see this notion within my generation(Gen Z) being fought. I don’t think too many Gen-Z’ers around my age would disagree with the sentiment that being in person is better than online, but having grown up with technology like smartphones and high-tech computers makes us a lot more passive to the negatives of an ever-increasing digital world. The digital era has brought technologies that used to be thought of as Sci-Fi and in my short lifetime I have seen progress in areas that is remarkable and we should embrace new technologies and innovations, but young people, especially the maturing Gen Z, should be more conscious of the balance between digital and real world. Especially now that the lines between the two are becoming more and more blurred and as we get pushed more into a digital landscape. As a young person, I’m excited to see the progress that will be made in my lifetime. I know I will live to see wonders beyond my wildest imagination, it’s hard not to after reading about the first Neuralink implants and the rapid development of AI technology. We just can’t forget that we are still humans with biological needs that can not be replaced by digital supernormal stimuli and at the end of the day I just hope that we can get more public spaces back, but until somebody figures out a way to make it profitable it is unlikely.