Has Technology Made Us Less Courageous?

"A popular social media trend in 2025 was the celebration of social isolation. Reels, posts, and memes abound that celebrate rebuffing social invitations, giving up on dating, doing the bare minimum at work, and even lamenting the loss of social distancing as though it was the silver lining and not an unfortunate consequence of the global pandemic. People seem to have really had it with other people."

"One of the many ways that technology has transformed communication is that it has made it easy for us to avoid courageous communication, the kind that cultivates social connectedness. Courageous communication is admitting when we're wrong or don't know the answers, having difficult conversations, and approaching conflict with respectful dialogue. Such behaviors build trust and strengthen relationships. And they are precisely the behaviors that digital environments make easy to bypass. In short, technology may be making us cowards."

Social media celebration of social isolation grew in 2025, with posts praising rebuffing invitations, abandoning dating, and minimizing work effort. Platforms meant to connect people instead amplified irony by showcasing withdrawal. Modern technologies have made it easier to avoid courageous communication—admitting mistakes, having difficult conversations, and approaching conflict respectfully—which undermines trust and connectedness. Behaviors like ghosting, quiet quitting, and online hostility normalize withdrawal and protect people short-term while increasing loneliness over time. Surveys show ghosting is widespread among young adults. Small acts of courage—honesty, humility, apology, and repair—strengthen relationships and rebuild social connection.

Read at Psychology Today