Communication is Key...

A true statement in all situations.

That said, WHERE is a good place to communicate online these days? Everywhere seems to be saturated with content that is anti-longform, marketing-driven, AI-generated and made for instant-gratification.

Suffice it to say I landed on Substack.

I think it’s difficult in this day and age to connect with people, both online and offline as the individualistic mindset has become very prevalent.

I’d love to see more of the activities we used to love, games we used to play and casual social interactions we used to enjoy. That’s the crux of why I created Random Box Studio in the first place, but that’s a story for another time.

Those of you from the Millennial generation and beyond might remember the days when many online spaces felt like walking into a convention wearing a “Hug me!” t-shirt. People were just excited to be there and that you were there and couldn’t wait to chat and share ideas. Naturally, some people were stringent, or humourless, and there was obviously a toxic element, but such is the way of humanity. In the end we still managed to have decent communities.

I actually posted on a platform the other day in a puzzle space and I was flabbergasted at the amount of vitriol in the space along with the lack of trust, empathy, manners, and basic human kindness. It was honestly heartbreaking. It was a very strange, isolating, and otherizing experience. I didn’t expect interactions to have changed so much. It feels as though communication that used to be defined as edgy or borderline has now become the net default.

In light of my recent experiences, I’ve come to hope you all are doing well out here. I want you to know that you’re not alone. Reasonable, chill people, with basic social etiquette still exist. We’re just overwhelmed with social changes, economic changes, the corporate cycle, running businesses, parenting, health-related struggles, and general adulting.

Yesteryear was far from perfect, but it’s also a far cry from what I’m seeing today.

But, let me know if you see otherwise. We’re all being algorithmized into different sections of the internet. Maybe you’ve found a cool one.