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One of the biggest improvements I’ve seen since I was a kid has to do with how much easier it is now to find people who share the same hobby, interest, identity, or diagnosis.
Among countless other possibilities, if you are:
LGBTQ+,
A fan of a specific book series, tv show, or obscure hobby,
Trying to learn more about a new hobby,
A llama herder, or
Just coming home from the hospital or doctor’s office after you or someone you love has been diagnosed with disease X,
You can find communities of people online who are in the same boat.
This is valuable for everyone, but it is even more important for folks who are living in rural areas or with health conditions that limit how much they can travel and who therefore may not be able to find anyone in their neighbourhood to discuss such things with in person.
When the Internet became something that virtually everyone in the western world has daily access to, countless people were finally able to meet others like themselves online for both serious and lighthearted purposes.
For subjects like life-changing illnesses, this means that information about the latest tests, studies, and treatments can spread much faster and farther than it could have a few decades ago. There is no doubt in my mind that this has saved a lot of lives as well as reduced suffering.
But even if you’re only searching for likeminded folks online who share your interest in topic X, it is still a wonderful thing to find those kindred spirits and finally get to dig deeply into the minutia of what you enjoy. Hobbies are an important part of living a fulfilling life, and I love how much easier is to meet other people who like the same very specific things you do these days.
I am so grateful that such things are possible and common nowadays.