Thanks for writing this - it's a relevant discussion to current societal trends. With respect to numerous other groups ( sports, religious or even pub gatherings ) you have provided evidence of weakening cohesion. These trends have been ongoing for some decades but took a boost from pandemic politics - which further atomised and shattered public solidarity with devastating strikes on liberty of speech, behaviour and movement.
While mistrust for social gathering was boosted, attention was focused inwards - into our homes, computers and screens, to replace human contact and interaction with doom scrolling. The public now more than ever looks to the digital interface for information, comfort, and authority. The opportunities for technocratic rule and manipulation are rife.
Damage done in the climbing world is just a swish of the dragons tail, unrecognised by many. Your writing is a worthy exposé of these trends, important as they are to our group needs for interaction. Perhaps further evidence lies in the rising (?) interest in solo climbing (rope-solo) which I have been following for a couple of years. I even bought some new kit (sucker !) but got to a sticking point - how would my sporting interest look and feel without human companionship and interaction ?
Awareness is an important and essential 1st step. Bravo !
Thanks for writing this - it's a relevant discussion to current societal trends. With respect to numerous other groups ( sports, religious or even pub gatherings ) you have provided evidence of weakening cohesion. These trends have been ongoing for some decades but took a boost from pandemic politics - which further atomised and shattered public solidarity with devastating strikes on liberty of speech, behaviour and movement.
While mistrust for social gathering was boosted, attention was focused inwards - into our homes, computers and screens, to replace human contact and interaction with doom scrolling. The public now more than ever looks to the digital interface for information, comfort, and authority. The opportunities for technocratic rule and manipulation are rife.
Damage done in the climbing world is just a swish of the dragons tail, unrecognised by many. Your writing is a worthy exposé of these trends, important as they are to our group needs for interaction. Perhaps further evidence lies in the rising (?) interest in solo climbing (rope-solo) which I have been following for a couple of years. I even bought some new kit (sucker !) but got to a sticking point - how would my sporting interest look and feel without human companionship and interaction ?
Awareness is an important and essential 1st step. Bravo !
I feel the slow death of online forums and the speedy rise of short form social media helped along atomisation. I miss the forum days.