The Fragmentation of Society

I just finished a great book, and it had a lot of interesting themes, which I felt like sharing. The book was John Barleycorn, by Jack London. The closest Jack London ever came to writing an autobiography, a story that follows a man from his early life, until his mid-adulthood, with a focus on the role that alcohol played in his life. A fascinating story, with the classic London touch.

The beginning the story details his first few encounters with alcohol, most of which were accidental, but did allow him to learn that he was the possessor of an incredible physical tolerance when it came to alcohol. As time progressed, and he struck out on his own at a very young age, he learned the value of alcohol in a social context. He writes at some great length about the gathering of men in bars, and how the purchasing of drinks proves generosity, and the consumption of drinks proves a manliness, without a doubt. He also writes about the role of alcohol when he was traveling. Go into any town, walk into any bar, talk with the other men, move to another bar, and after just a couple bars, you would know every important person, the editor of the newspaper, the lawyer, doctor, every person worth knowing. Bars are where men congregate, and socialize with an ease that is rarely seen elsewhere. And this, right here, this is what got me thinking.

Obviously, bar culture, and drinking culture has changed from the pre-Prohibition times that London lived and wrote in. Alcohol has always been a destructive force in society, and will remain so, but the redemptive factors of socializing with peers and social networking have been diminished, to the point that it no longer seems worth the physical damage. But why isn't it worth it anymore?

It used to be that your friends were the people you saw everyday, the people you worked with, but now, we have friends that are hundreds of miles away, sometimes people we haven't even met. The social circle has gotten so wide that meeting a friend, regardless of the place isn't that hard. It used to be that if you wanted to meet with someone from more than 50 miles away, it would take weeks of planning, and at least a day of travel. Now, a cell phone call, a little over an hour of driving, and there you are, chatting away.

Good, bad, I'm not sure. What do you all think?
By the way, I'm sorry it has been so long between posts. I haven't had the time, energy, and topic all at the same time.