Is Our Collective Mood Contagious?

Key points

We may be experiencing a collective consciousness shaped by shared exposure to our cultural fragmentation.

Science shows us that emotions spread through groups like a virus.

If we unconsciously absorb others' stress, we can also influence each other in positive ways.

Group stress seems to be spreading like a bad cold.

People seem on edge. Tempers are shorter. There’s more honking at the green light. Conversations often turn to resigned regret about the division in the country. And the other day, someone I hadn’t seen in 35 years left a surprisingly snarky comment on a social media post, an act out of character for the person I once knew.

Is this a reflection of individual stress, or is it something more complex? Might this communal unease reflect a collective shift in