Build a community

One of the most valuable things a young person can do right now is build a local community. Get a group together that meets regularly: weekly, monthly, or something.

First of all, building a community is not an ambitious goal – we aren't striving to be the best or anything like that. Nonetheless, being a part of a community is fundamental to having a decent life and has been slowly eroding away somehow. Everyone that isn't hanging out with the friends they've had for 20 years seems increasingly lonely to me (including me). It should be a top priority to fix this.

What activities should you do? Literally anything that requires some level of communication. Play games, cook something, or do some crafts. And yes, all of these things are not particularly interesting, but the people who show up are; they are the point. People are the point. Everything else is a distraction to get everyone into the same room and off our devices for two seconds.

It'll be tough to get people there because real life interactions are awkward and hard compared to scrolling on a phone. And some weeks will have great turnout and be a good time, others almost nobody will show up and the vibe will kinda be boring. Nonetheless, this is worth it. This is life. We are social animals.

2024-06-30