We didn’t lose third places by accident.
Pattern, every time:
1. Public space exists
2. It’s underfunded
3. Labeled “mismanaged”
4. Authority steps in
5. Access tightens
6. Rebranded as “progress”
Result:
• Fewer places to belong
• More isolation
• More screens
Tech didn’t replace third places. It benefited from their destruction.
Screens scale. Parks don’t.
Data monetizes. Belonging doesn’t.
#ThirdPlaces #DAFUQ #PublicSpace #FollowTheMoney #Privatization #LonelinessEconomy #AttentionExtraction #TechCulture #NotAnAccident #Nostr