Post-Pandemic Rage: Why Everyone Is Acting Strange Since 2020
Opinion | Society & Psychology
Executive Summary
If you feel like the world has become ruder, more aggressive, and less coherent since the lockdowns lifted, you are not alone. From the sky-rocketing rates of air rage and road violence to the "thousand-yard stare" seen in grocery stores, society seems to be suffering from a collective breakdown. Is this just the result of economic stress, or did the virus (and the trauma of isolation) fundamentally rewire the human brain? We investigate the "Feral Era" and why the old social contract is officially dead.
It’s not just you. Go to a grocery store, drive on a highway, or sit in a crowded airport. The vibe has shifted. The patience that held civilization together for decades feels thin, brittle, or entirely absent.
We were promised a "Roaring 20s" of celebration after the virus. Instead, we got the "Screaming 20s." People aren't just stressed; they are acting strange. Disconnected. Explosive. It’s as if the collective trauma of 2020 didn't end when the masks came off—it just mutated into something behavioral.
The "Feral Era": Why Politeness Died
Sociologists are calling it the "Feral Era." The statistics are alarming:
- Air Rage: The FAA reported a massive spike in unruly passenger incidents, up nearly 500% in 2021/2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- Road Rage: Traffic fatalities are up, not because of more cars, but because of more reckless driving.
- Teacher Resignations: Educators report that students (and their parents) have lost the ability to self-regulate emotions.
We spent two years viewing other humans as "vectors of disease" rather than neighbors. That psychological conditioning doesn't vanish overnight. It has left us with a subconscious baseline of hostility. Every stranger is now a threat, not a potential friend.
Is It Brain Damage? The Cognitive Fog
This is the uncomfortable question no one wants to ask: Is this behavioral shift biological?
Studies have shown that even mild cases of COVID-19 can reduce grey matter thickness in areas of the brain associated with memory and executive function. "Executive function" is the part of your brain that tells you not to scream at the barista because your latte is cold. If a large percentage of the population has suffered mild, collective neurological inflammation, the result would look exactly like what we are seeing: shorter fuses, confusion, and poor impulse control.
Solipsism and Main Character Syndrome
During lockdown, our entire world shrank to the size of a smartphone screen. We curated our feeds, blocked dissenting voices, and lived in digital echo chambers where we were the center of the universe.
Re-entering the real world has been a shock because the real world doesn't have an algorithm that caters to you. This has led to an explosion of "Main Character Syndrome." People block aisles with tripods, listen to TikToks on speakers in restaurants, and treat service workers like NPCs (Non-Player Characters) in a video game. Empathy requires imagination; right now, many people can only imagine themselves.
The "NPC" Stare and Mass Dissociation
Conversely, there is the "Check Out." You see it in the eyes of people walking down the street—a glazed, vacant look often described on forums as the "NPC Stare."
This is likely a massive, collective dissociation response. When reality becomes too stressful (war, inflation, pandemics), the brain protects itself by detaching. We are physically present, but mentally, we are still in the bunker. We are a society of high-functioning ghosts.
What Then? Navigating a Low-Trust World
At What Then Studio, we believe the "Old Normal" is gone. We are living in a low-trust, high-friction society.
The social contract—the unwritten agreement that we will be nice to each other to keep the wheels turning—has been breached. To survive this, you cannot rely on the politeness of others. You must become the emotional anchor in the room. Expect the aggression, anticipate the weirdness, and do not engage with the chaos. In a world that has lost its mind, the most rebellious act you can commit is to stay calm.
FAQ: Post-Pandemic Psychology
A: While there is no direct proof that the virus causes rage, neurological studies suggest it can affect impulse control and emotional regulation, potentially lowering the threshold for aggressive behavior.
A: Psychologists attribute this to "social atrophy." After years of isolation, our social skills have degraded, and our tolerance for minor inconveniences has hit rock bottom.
A: Likely not. We are establishing a "New Normal." History shows that major pandemics often reshape social behaviors permanently.
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