Everyone is afraid of socialising these days.
I'm admittedly a bit of a loner and don't have a lot of people to hang out with, IRL or online, but one of the main reasons is because socialising with people has become so difficult these days. Not because I'm shy or awkward. While I am sort of an "only talks if he has something to say" kind of person, I don't consider myself socially awkward and can strike up conversations just fine when I want to. And even when I can't think of much to say, I'm a good listener.
But nowadays, it feels like everyone is either molded into some sort of clique or gang and won't socialise with anyone outside of it, if not outright be a **** to people outside of it.
Or people are paranoid to the point they think everyone is out to get them.
Like seriously, I have the easiest time socialising with senior citizens because they're the only people who don't seem to fall under the above two traits most of the time. You say hello, and they'll stop to chat with you about all sorts. It's great.
Young people these days are so afraid of something bad happening to them that they rarely want to socialise outside of their cliques and childhood friends that they've already established, and so the only place they will socialise outside of their comfort zone is at nightclubs and the like, when they're completely drunk. Whether it being afraid of harmless embarrassment or being kidnapped, they can't talk to people and let them in without some drink on them.
Oh, and of course having their faces stuck in their phones is another problem.
And this kind of thing just leads to people like that woman who wrote that article.
Stuff like this is basically why I've stopped trying to look for new friends or whatever. I just go with the flow now. If I can become friends, or even find a lover, without having to really "look" for them and it just sort of happens, then I take that to mean they were truly meant to be in my life. That's how my friendships with my two best friends started.