Thanks for your comment! Part of our "busyness" these days is by choice, I think, but here in the U.S. the cost of living is so high (and pay is so low) that many people have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I'm afraid it will get worse before it gets better.
I truly hope things stay civilized here as the platform grows. I know what you mean about quality suffering on platforms like Facebook. So many friendships and family relationships have been harmed by disagreements on social media. I think there will always be room for intelligent, substantive content here.
Don't worry: for sure I believe you (and I did observe that myself, also in Germany) that life for many people is getting harder, and they have to fight to survive. But at the same time I think we should not accept this state of affairs. There is enough money and there are people and companies who got unbelievable rich by exploiting others ... Why should "we" work faster and faster, more and more (so that we even have no time anymore to read a good book) to be more "efficient" and "productive", if in the end all the profit will be in hands of a few very rich people? More people should fight back instead to think it just has to be like that. I know it won't be easy, but things have to change!
(Just my personal opinion of course ...)