FT: Over half of Americans feel cut off from society — and bots' fake engagement disgusts us
annetgriffin · x · 2026-11-09
Citing today's Financial Times piece "America is craving a return to community," the author highlights that more than half of Americans report feeling cut off from society, nearly two-thirds call societal division a significant stressor, and the US ranked last among 24 nations in a 2023 Pew survey on feeling close to fellow countrymen.
The author argues people have a conscious and subconscious need for meaningful connection, which explains the visceral reaction to bot-driven fake engagement on social media — we resent being tricked into believing a real human is on the other end.
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