Bo Burnham’s line points to a quiet mismatch: human social instincts evolved for small groups, yet modern technology invites us to feel tethered to billions. At first glance, being able to see everyone’s lives in real time sounds like expanded community, but the quote suggests it can instead create an exhausting illusion of responsibility and closeness. In that sense, the problem isn’t connection itself, but the unprecedented scale and simultaneity of it.
From there, the question becomes less about whether global connection is “good” or “bad” and more about whether our attention, empathy, and nervous systems can metabolize it without strain. [...]
