> When many lower-income Americans are feeling isolated by the deadening uniformity of things, by the emptiness of many jobs, by the media, they still yearn for physical social networks. They are not doing this by going to government-run community service centers. They are not always doing this by utilizing the endless array of well-intentioned not-for-profit outreach programs. They are doing this on their own, organically across the country, in McDonald’s.<p>Three - not connected - tboughts:<p>1) And in the middle and upper class suburbs and urban areas they tank up on sugar & caffeine at Starbucks, sport their Hoka running shoes, take their mood adjusting prescriptions religiously, never miss a session with their therapist and fall asleep basking in the glow from their mobile device. It's a great time for The Greatest Country in The History of The World.<p>2) There are plenry of gov programs and non-profits and yet the majority come up short? How can so many be so consistently off target? Or do too many of these efforts exist to serve themselves and "the mission" is more like a cover story?<p>3) Human are social beasts. We can keep telling ourselves that technology (e.g., touch screens, the internet, etc) is the new black. Perhaps, but that black is showing plenty of cracks. Who'd think a fast food chain from the 50's would be the local saviour? It feels like a dystopian sci-fi story.