Name: Community-maxxing.
Age: The portmanteau is recent, but Homo sapiens have always been social creatures.
Appearance: Cosily communal.
Community-maxxing? But I thought I was supposed to be solo-maxxing! Well, that means being single, so you could do both.
Explain. Community-maxxing is seeking out regular in-person connections around you, often tied to shared interests. Vice reports that gen Z are "done doomscrolling" and are getting out in the world, sharing their passions, interests and "grandma hobbies" with like-minded folk by joining book groups, crafting circles, hiking and run clubs.
You're telling me gen Z have invented socialising? There's more to it than that. Community-maxxing is also being a good neighbour, feeling part of the place you live in and being open to new connections.
Good on gen Z. Community-maxxing is a way of combating loneliness and digitally enabled isolation, which are really problematic for their generation.
No wonder they're craving connection. Yes, humans are social creatures – we need each other. "Community-maxxing … has become an accepted term in recent years to describe what therapists have known for decades: that individuals require repeated, quality social interaction to assist in developing a feeling of grounding and support," therapist Stephanie Lewis told Vice.
That's true of everyone, surely, not just the youth. Yes, community-maxxing isn't just for kids. You might have noticed there's a renewed interest in communal living these days, from multi-generational shared spaces to co-housing projects and communities for older people.
Hmm, I don't think I'm up for joining a commune: I'm very particular about my towels. You can community-maxx however you like, in big or small ways. Suggestions online include "ask to borrow a tool instead of buying one", "become a regular volunteer" and "chat to the person sitting next to you at your local cafe". You could join a choir! Fix stuff at your local repair cafe!
Fine, but I still hate the word. How about IRL-core, community-coded, going social-mode? We could get a group together in a nice local cafe to workshop this.
Do say: "Gen Z are realising it takes a village to be a happy, fulfilled human."