I though as well, and without a doubt it added to it (I have teacher friends that give me bleak reports for the cohort that went through it), but this thing started before the pandemic.
Also, I told myself, it's like watching sport instead of playing it, but something seems different.
I think it's more like sitcoms. A cast of slightly funny and charismatic characters going through mildly interesting experiences has been a mainstay of entertainment media for some time now.
No, I meant American sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Modern Family, etc. None of these shows show anything dramatic or larger than life - it's just a couple of friends or a family going through relatable yet sanitized everyday situations.
Many of these shows were the pillar of people's evening ritual - the whole family would gather around the TV to watch a fictional family experience life.
What happen in friends or seinfield is way more creative and dense than those youtube videos. Friends start with a depressed guy wishing fir a girl and a nlond in a wedding dress shows out, follow by a killer punch line.
It's not something you can replicate every day with just having a drink with your buds.
I've heard from some teachers that the younger children they see coming up find it very scary to interact with real kids.
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