Everyone is on their phone all the time while on break, usually in isolation. Like, a vast majority, and this holds true across sectors.
Being relateable and “making sense” is good advice. But ultimately, everyone is a lot more atomized these days than even 6 or 7 years ago, which is the last time Brace worked a regular job. And atomization plus mediation of everything through huge tech platforms takes a toll on everyone’s mental health. Everyone knows the world is fucked up, and the adage “makes sense” that it is unbecoming to be well adjusted to a corrupted world.
You break down this barrier by organising a work group trip to get local food during lunch, even if it’s just a quick drive to the supermarket where people buy sandwiches or whatever.
It gets some of them out, in your vehicle, and communally doing something together, usually sitting and eating together where you get chance to build some connections and then work from there.
If groups that already do that exist, get into them and see what’s up too.
I’ve tried this approach word for word at work last year and the management forced us to have lunch separately at several different times to prevent any sort of organizing
Perfect example of why trying to pin the lack or failure of organizing on idiosyncrasy is specious. Organization is hard because it’s constantly being thwarted by people in positions of power. It’s not because there aren’t enough sociable people. The issue isn’t whether organizing is a social endeavor or if we have enough sociable people, it’s how do we become successful in spite of obstruction. That’s a much harder question for an entertainer/podcaster/youtuber to answer as a neat soundbite.
Everyone is on their phone all the time while on break, usually in isolation. Like, a vast majority, and this holds true across sectors.
Being relateable and “making sense” is good advice. But ultimately, everyone is a lot more atomized these days than even 6 or 7 years ago, which is the last time Brace worked a regular job. And atomization plus mediation of everything through huge tech platforms takes a toll on everyone’s mental health. Everyone knows the world is fucked up, and the adage “makes sense” that it is unbecoming to be well adjusted to a corrupted world.
You break down this barrier by organising a work group trip to get local food during lunch, even if it’s just a quick drive to the supermarket where people buy sandwiches or whatever.
It gets some of them out, in your vehicle, and communally doing something together, usually sitting and eating together where you get chance to build some connections and then work from there.
If groups that already do that exist, get into them and see what’s up too.
Build a gang
I’ve tried this approach word for word at work last year and the management forced us to have lunch separately at several different times to prevent any sort of organizing
Perfect example of why trying to pin the lack or failure of organizing on idiosyncrasy is specious. Organization is hard because it’s constantly being thwarted by people in positions of power. It’s not because there aren’t enough sociable people. The issue isn’t whether organizing is a social endeavor or if we have enough sociable people, it’s how do we become successful in spite of obstruction. That’s a much harder question for an entertainer/podcaster/youtuber to answer as a neat soundbite.
This is how you know it works.