Were there problems before the pandemic? Yes. But at least men were trying.
They were asking questions, learning how to talk to women, and putting effort into dating. You used to see posts from guys asking how to get out of the friend zone or how to stop obsessing over one girl. That kind of talk has mostly disappeared. Now it is just surface-level advice, vague talk about improving yourself, or endless complaining. What this says is that either most guys figured it out and do not need help anymore, or they gave up on women.
Here is what I think happened.
Men were removed from real life for too long
Locking young men inside for years was never going to end well. That stretch of time when guys would have developed socially, emotionally, and romantically just disappeared. They got used to isolation and most never bounced back.
There is no pressure to leave your comfort zone anymore
Most guys can go to work, come home, and do everything else from a screen. Groceries, meals, and entertainment are delivered. Dating apps give the illusion of female attention. Socializing happens through gaming, Discord, or Twitch. Now even thinking for yourself can be outsourced to AI. Life became comfortable but also stagnant.
Cope culture became a full-time hobby
Streams like Fresh and Fit, Kevin Samuels, and Rollo Tomassi exploded during lockdowns. Guys started spending hours listening to talking points that kept them angry but inactive. It was just not a phase because these creators are still uploading hour plus long live streams. Many men fill their free time with Red Pill rants, then turn around and spend money on OnlyFans for some fake sense of connection. This is not motivation. It is sedation.
Real-life social spots are full of women
Bars, gyms, and clubs are mostly filled with women now, and they are pretty receptive to being approached. Some women are getting aggressive about it. A jogger literally asked me out while I was walking my dog yesterday. The demand for stable, decent men is obviously high right now.
Quick fix advice replaced real growth
You hear things like "be a passport bro" or "go to the gym" or "just level up." These sound like solutions but do not actually build social skill or confidence. If the end goal is to find love or respect overseas, why even bother learning how to connect at home? Going to the gym/levelling up are vague answers and don't address the core of the problem which is YOU. If you believe you will be rejected no matter what, you stop improving altogether. It is paralysis wrapped in optimism.
Things have been getting worse since 2022
There was a short wave of optimism in 2021 and early 2022 when things reopened. Since then, something feels off. The country feels tired, bitter, and hopeless. People are more isolated than ever. If your life feels stuck, why risk rejection? Why try at all?
The only thing I think could fix this is something drastic. A major war, a collapse, something that forces people to change. Until then, the average man will keep slipping while the top tier of men continue to win and reproduce.
There is a word for that. It is called natural selection.
Since the end of 2022, if women are not responding to you at all, you might already be on the wrong side of that process. At this point, you either have it, or you do not.
