People are communal. It's always been to our advantage to be as it's easier for us to survive when we work in groups. It seems that even on a subconscious level we are driven to maintain group connections.

You are right. But sometimes, the bonds we forge with other people can lead us to desire periods of isolation, to the point of developing a misanthropic attitude or seeking an anchorite lifestyle. Our prejudices and preferences also play a role and may lead us to associate with groups with specific, even desirable traits, while others we find abhorrent. I won't go too deeply into the quality of our relationships with other people. Still, the point is that our lives are a constant balancing act with the connections we try to maintain with others, especially our nuclear family, which expects to welcome us with warmth and affection in our first experiences of life outside the womb.

I've pondered the question of the momentary disappearance of electric light several times. It's interesting because it contrasts with the current intensive use of social media, and future generations will be no exception. There are always new developments or attempts to launch something that keeps people glued to their screens; I myself am not immune to this. However, I've managed to set limits to pursue other activities. And, paradoxically, these limits can be counterproductive when socializing outside the digital space, as I find others absorbed in their cell phones. Initially, they try to control it, but they forget and end up checking their apps. Less creative effort is invested in maintaining direct contact, seeking that sense of community you mentioned at the beginning, and this is complicated by the rise of generative AI. The relationship between "machines and humans" will be more palpable, in the sense that we consider computers and smartphones as machines with different capabilities.

Regarding productivity, I think we've reached a point where machines have greater autonomy to perform tasks where human activity is unnecessary or reduced, which theoretically would give us time to... Guess what? Socialize and spend more time with our grandparents! But the opposite happens. More autonomy is sought for machines, or activities are delegated for them to do everything for us, to... Exactly! Be more productive and continue to be so ad infinitum. It's the discourse that's constantly repeated. Each innovation is accompanied by an expert, leader, or whatever you want to call them, who mentions the word "productivity." Rarely is there emphasis on reclaiming a sense of community or striving to understand it. "I immerse myself in TikTok and Snapchat, and I forget". They aren't the only ones, but Facebook and Instagram are no different.

Returning to the elderly, there are commercial technological efforts to provide them with assistance, although this depends on their lifestyle and health. For example, a person with Alzheimer's or cognitive impairment could use Alexa, which would alleviate the burden on caregivers, and robotics also contributes in this regard. These examples seem socially desirable to me and preferable to returning to archaic senicidal practices when there are superior alternatives. However, the Canadian context seems far removed from this; I would have to research further to form a well-founded opinion and not be mistaken.

Your final thoughts on the rupture or distancing between young people and parents are interesting. I hadn't seen it that way. It seems logical that, with greater distance and busy lifestyles, the desire to visit parents is lost, or excuses related to distance are found. Or it may also happen that they do not have enough money to plan a visiting trip.

I believe that physical community bonds will fade even further due to the rise of virtual connections. In fact, roles like community managers exist to manage the latter, and sometimes I think that, just as there is a community manager for the digital realm, there should also be community managers for physical contact. After all, both areas are important: the first facilitates communication at a distance, the second allows us to experience direct human connection, belonging to those primordial community ties that are extinguished at the rate of the digital frenzy.

I apologize for my delay in responding almost three weeks later, I entered a small period of convalescence(Not serious ) and that is why I spent many days absent. Now that I am in better health, I can resume reading and writing new publications. I appreciate that you considered it in your new installment.