It's a problem IRL, too. I am astonished by how much disinterested people are in each other. I am very good at keeping a conversation going, I become genuinely interested in the person and ask as many follow-up questions as possible. Unless I know what we're talking about falls into my experiences, I'd refrain from talking about myself.
But what I see constantly is that people have gone from a "what about you" mindset to "what about me" mindset. My conversations end as soon as the person is done answering my questions about them. Like, zero reciprocation, which is god awful.
If these people participate online, where they can mainly get away with being a shitty personality, then this toxicity is not that surprising to see.
User experiences are crafted to make the user the center of attention, or gives them the levers to do so (Instagram and Facebook, for example). The result, while depressing (and what you observe), should be of no surprise to anyone.
I have no solution, only a small piece of advice: seek out others with empathy and active interest in others. Avoid narcissists like the plague. Be humble.
But what I see constantly is that people have gone from a "what about you" mindset to "what about me" mindset. My conversations end as soon as the person is done answering my questions about them. Like, zero reciprocation, which is god awful.
If these people participate online, where they can mainly get away with being a shitty personality, then this toxicity is not that surprising to see.