You may feel like life has never really returned to normal after 2020, for some unknown and inexplicable reason.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life as we knew it, but is that enough to explain how everything has just felt a bit off for the best part of four years?
One man has made it his mission to explain the phenomenon to social media users in a video that has gone viral.
Mike Mancusi is an American comedian that creates content on Instagram and TikTok, usually consisting of skits and relatable life videos.
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The video he made about the 2020 phenomenon has brought in over 1.5 million views on the latter platform, with thousands of people rushing to the comments to agree with his take on the matter.
Mancusi prefaced the video by asking: "Do you feel like the last four years of your life since 2020 haven't felt like actual reality?"
He explains that he has seen a lot of videos - specifically from millennials - talking about how they can't even remember life pre-2020, saying it 'doesn't even feel like reality' and that 'it's been erased from our actual life'.
The comedian went on to admit that he experiences this too and has come to the realisation of what the apparent cause of it is.
"The cause of this phenomenon is the fact that we're not living life in reality anymore," Manclusi claims.
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"2020 smashed our existences into our phones and into the digital world, and we are no longer existing in our physical space."
"Only dealing with thinks within our circle of influence," he damningly reveals.
Comparing to the world we live in to a video game, Manclusi says that we are now exposed to all the 'horrible things' that people all over the globe have to go through.
Manclusi notes that it's 'awful' that our whole existence is attached to an artificial device, adding that we 'will eventually be cyborgs'.
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Even when we take a break from our routine and go on holiday, he says that we're constantly thinking we're missing something on social media, or needing to take photos and videos to share to get likes.
The TikToker then urges viewers to not let it 'have any sort of impact on your emotional health', reminding them that there is an 'off button'.
He says that people need to bring themselves back to the physical world, to spend time with loved ones, as you don't need to share your happiness with anyone else online.
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Linking the dopamine associated with social media with hits of something artificial, he reminds viewers that most of the content online is designed to get you anxious, so it's not worth becoming infatuated with it.
Several users in the comments agreed with the comedian's assessment of the world post-2020.
One commented: "I literally went from being a complete extrovert to a hermit introvert."
Another put: "Things feel kind of joyless. It feels bereft of enthusiasm and I can't put my finger on why."
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A third posted: "My life has stopped literally, like it's on hold."
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock ImagesTopics: Social Media, TikTok, Weird