In an age where smartphones buzz with endless notifications and cheap data fuels a nonstop digital feed, many people find themselves lonelier than ever. Despite being constantly connected to social media, news, and entertainment, genuine face-to-face conversations are fading into the background.

Gatherings dissolve into silent scrolling sessions, conversations are fractured by incessant pings, and the subtle art of listening is slipping away. The result is a paradox: a world overflowing with digital ties, yet starved of real human connection.

Highlighting this growing disconnect, a user on Reddit posed a simple question: “anyone else missing that kind of interaction?”

“Every time I travel in the metro, I notice the same thing — everyone’s eyes are glued to their phones. Reels, shorts, random scrolling. Even when people are just waiting somewhere — at a restaurant, outside a clinic, whatever — the moment they get a few free minutes, the phone comes out. It didn’t used to be like this,” the user wrote.

“I remember 10 years ago, you’d actually see people talking to strangers. Sharing thoughts, arguing about politics, discussing random life stuff. There was curiosity, a little spark in people to know what the other person had to say. This really hit me yesterday. I was at a restaurant waiting for a takeaway order. Normally, I’d be on my phone too, but yesterday I had left it at home. And because of that, something unexpected happened,” the user added.

Sharing a personal anecdote, the user wrote, “An old man — probably in his early 70s — asked me to sit beside him. He was reading the Financial Times. We started with some casual chit-chat… and then somehow, we went deep. We talked about how politics in this country is going downhill, about how nobody trusts any party anymore (and honestly, fair point), and then we drifted into philosophy, purpose, even life choices. It was honestly one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had in a while — and with a complete stranger.”

“And it made me wonder… when was the last time I saw two strangers talking like that? Just talking — without screens, without distractions. Not trying to impress or argue, just exchanging thoughts. I feel like we’ve lost that culture. Earlier, people cared about discussing politics, ideas, even random opinions. Now, most people just feel like “everything’s messed up anyway, what’s the point?” — and that mindset has killed curiosity,” the post added.

“But man… that one conversation yesterday really stayed with me,” it said.