This is, to my thought, the evolution of what began in the 1950s and 1960s as strip malls, morphed to WalMart and Big Box Stores. I'm writing an article about this right now for another pub. I'm old enough to recall when driving across Kansas and Iowa, a quick trip off the Interstate invariably led to a small, one street downtown with a terrific diner. No more. Your points are well taken, Rachel. I gotta wonder at what point we as a nation sold our soul to socialize in favor of the almighty dollar. Malls were a symptom, even as decades before, Main Street was a fine place to wander, shop, talk and people watch. We desperately need those spaces back. And to your point, it is ridiculous to blame any generation for having a hard time connecting when the only damned thing anyone wants of us is our money, not our health, happiness and general life satisfaction, all of which are strongly indicated by a lively social life.