John Burn-Murdoch recently observed in the Financial Times that, over the past several decades, there has been a shift in personality: less conscientiousness, fewer self-identified extroverts, and rising neuroticism, particularly among the young. While acknowledging that there are multiple reasons behind this turn, Burn-Murdoch is right to point the finger at the online world in particular.
Online life has fundamentally altered how we live and interact, making us at once more connected than at any point in history and less connected in the ways that matter most. The resulting loss of face-to-face relationships may help explain why traits such as reliability and sociability appear to be eroding.
Meanwhile, work and school — two of the institutions that most structure our days — have undergone profound technological transformations since the 2000s, which have been expedited and exacerbated by the pandemic. According to Pew Research, over one-third of all workers who can work from home all the time do so, up from only 7% pre-pandemic. And more classrooms use technology than ever before. While 30% of US school districts had high-speed broadband in 2013, nearly 90% did by 2016.
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Carolyn D. Gorman is a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute.
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