[DyslexicAtheist]

technology & social media which lead people into isolation and despite promising the opposite, a less-connected live.

meeting people today is much easier than it was 20 years ago (organized events on places like meetup.com, etc ... even tinder make it easy). But the quality of these connections is shallow and very short.

also the more time we spend on social media the less time we have to work on real connections (which is massive effort).

I'm not surprised by the high rates of 35+ age group as it is very difficult for people (and males in general) to form new meaningful long term bonds after setting down. Add the likelyhood of divorce, burnout or unemployment rates in those age groups it is no wonder. :(

[AnIdiotOnTheNet]

Popular media conveys this conception that the Amish are opposed to technology for religious reasons, but this is incorrect. The Amish place a high value on maintaining their culture, and within that culture familial and community interactions are among the most important ideals. Consequently, each community takes a considered look at technology and how it might influence their culture, and simply choose not to adopt those that they believe would have a negative influence.

I think there is something the rest of us could learn from this.

[SketchySeaBeast]

So where did zippers falls on the spectrum of "drive the community apart"?

[AnIdiotOnTheNet]

Probably in the realm of "can't be manufactured within the community leading to a reliance on the outside world for something we don't really need". Not relying on the outside world is also a pretty big theme of their culture.