"Love is a Mental Illness"

[AnndyManuka]

His take on love and its parallels with addiction is fascinating yet somewhat sobering, especially in today's digital age where online connections often replace genuine, long-lasting relationships. It's true; we're bombarded with romanticized notions of love in media, often overlooking its darker sides.Your mention of Japan's declining birth rate is eye-opening. I remember reading an article on signs and symptoms of mental health conditions at https://fherehab.com/bipolar/signs-symptoms/ and came across a story about a friend who struggled with bipolar disorder.She once confided in me how societal pressures to conform to idealized notions of love exacerbated her condition. It made me realize the importance of acknowledging the complexities of romantic relationships and their impact on mental health.

Edited May 6 by AnndyManuka

[Mult]

The largest drive of a reduction of births in developed countries is the cost of living and lack of available child care.

Japan especially has notoriously long waiting lists for daycares. This means that a parent has to stay out of work to raise a young child which is why Japanese children are raised quite young to be independent since Japan is an expensive place to live. Japan is also known for a high suicide rate in men and very toxic working conditions.

A lot of people do want children but don't have them because they don't have the means to afford it. Rental units are also expensive especially those with multiple bedrooms.

So many people are quick to blame selfishness of individuals rather than address the obstacles that are impacting when or if people decide to raise kids. Lack of job opportunities also make an impact as young adults may leave to find better opportunities rather than raise children in their home country.

[Lovebird]

17 hours ago, AnndyManuka said:

His take on love and its parallels with addiction is fascinating yet somewhat sobering, especially in today's digital age where online connections often replace genuine, long-lasting relationships. It's true; we're bombarded with romanticized notions of love in media, often overlooking its darker sides.Your mention of Japan's declining birth rate is eye-opening.

Are you serious?? Long distant & online relationships are just as valid as close ones. Tired of my relationships being invalidated like this.

[Mult]

I think people should consider which came first: entertainment media "addiction" or social isolation.

 

Think about your commute (if you commute to work) and what you do on your time off of work. How many people to you converse with and hang out with ? How easy is it for you to get together with other people? Do you have to coordinate time off work or travel a long distance just to meet up?

When I was in university, I was studying music in a small department, so we all really got to know each other and we would all be frequenting the same small university building for out classes. I talked with all sorts of people daily, but now? Haven't seen anyone since I graduated. Everyone is so far out of the way, the university is 3 hours from where I live now, and I work full time.

So how correct is it to say that people are not being social because they are addicted to media and fantasy? Or perhaps our society makes it difficult for people to get together and just hang out? When someone cancels plans with you are just simply cannot visit you, what do you do? Go out somewhere to find someone to talk to or put on a movie? Scroll the internet? 

 

Social media and other online stuff is definitely addictive but people generally gravitate to the path of least resistance. Seeing someone face to face is difficult because of work, travel, money. Scrolling through the internet is easy and you're paying for your device and internet bill anyway.

Imagine having to travel to a library just to watch a YouTube video? You wouldn't be doing that as easily or as often as you would with a smartphone in your hand connected to a cell tower.

 

Cars play a large part of making life quite isolating where millions of people each day spend some time of their day stuck in traffic, alone in a car. One could live alone, commute alone, talk at work, return alone, and spend their evening alone. If that person has work early the next day, would they go out to socialize or just turn on some music and scroll through the internet until they go to bed?

 

Besides how expensive it is to live in developed places around the world, I also believe that our very society is reinforcing lonely behaviors. Online communication is where a lot of people spend a lot of their socializing time which isn't inherently bad, imo, but if you want people to meet face to face, then they need more opportunities to casually run into people they know or to get to know people around them which has quite a bit of resistance against it due to the way our communities are structured and the way labour is structured. 

Edited April 30 by Mult