[araes]

Possibly, although it may be relative like others have noted. Maybe people were awkward in the Radio Era, and just sat around at home listening to other people "supposedly" having fun in the Roaring Twenties. "That seems like so much fun, yet I could never do that." However, in the modern era, other reasons might be:

Cell Phones - In every situation now, there's an excuse in your pocket to avoid everybody and not interact. To scan your finger up and up through images, while avoiding those around you. To tap on the endless hallway rather than talking.

TVs - They're in many public businesses related to socialization, and in pretty much every household. It wants you to look at the screen. Its easier to look at the screen than talk. The TV does not actively dismiss you, reject you openly in a bar, or sneer at your lack of the latest fashion / tech gadget. It shows you images that are better than your life every day, it doesn't need to reject you to make you know it's part of a better social desirability class.

Achievement Pressure - The whole world's gone gamified and you can feel bad when you drop out in the operating room. Week late, week early. Didn't walk soon enough. Didn't speak first word quickly enough. Not a math prodigy before kindergarten. You're being left behind by the 10x children, the AP class children, the children that started with advantages. Your paycheck's not what all the websites say your supposed to be getting. $50B?? My paycheck has 50k on it... Your family's not like the family on TV. You, your spouse, your children, your parents, have all those horrible issues the drug commercials tell you to worry about. Not nearly as hot as the movie people. Does my voice sound that way?