The Gray Fade: On Fast Food, Isolation, and the Disappearing Color of Connection

So Here Goes Nothing…

Lately, I’ve been seeing a trend on TikTok and other social media platforms — people sharing old photographs of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and the like. You know the ones. Red roofs. Vibrant interiors. Some even had solariums — sunrooms, for crying out loud — where folks would actually sit, sip a drink, and read a newspaper for hours. Wendy’s used to have newspaper tables. It was a whole thing.

But fast forward to today?

Everything’s gray. Monotone. Lifeless. The buildings look more like bank branches or prisons than places to eat or hang out. Actually banks look more fun.

Sure, these are just fast-food joints — corporations — so maybe it’s silly to care. But still, isn’t it telling?

The Future We Didn’t Want

Movies in the ‘70s and ‘80s often portrayed the future with everyone in dull gray jumpsuits, surrounded by sterile, soulless environments. It was always a warning — not a goal. But somehow, we got here anyway.

Just think about it: open your closet. Gray and tan dominate. Our homes? Beige, boring, and stripped of character. Even our kitchens and couches lack personality. And the cars we drive? Walk through a parking lot today and you’ll see 50 shades of silver, gray, and black. Compare that to the rainbow explosion of a 1980s lot — it’s wild.

Honestly, I have to use my key fob to find my car now. That’s how indistinguishable they’ve all become.

Isolation in Plain Sight

It doesn’t stop there.

Go to Walmart. Once you get past the warehouse-style exterior, you can walk in, shop for 45 minutes, and not speak to a single soul. The store could be packed with people — screaming kids and all — but no one looks at each other. No head nods. No smiles. No small talk.

You ring up your own stuff at self-checkout. Maybe you pass the door greeter who half-checks your receipt. That’s the extent of human interaction. And even if you try to talk to someone? Good luck. Most of the time you’ll get a weird look or be ignored altogether.

It’s Not Just Nostalgia

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Here’s another cranky guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn.” But no — this isn’t about nostalgia. Something really has shifted.

Take my local mall — Fairlane Village in Pottsville. It closes at 7 PM now. Why? Most stores are already shuttered. I learned that the hard way one night, trying to talk to someone at the T-Mobile store. Doors locked. At one point, kids used to be everywhere in those malls, and you’d have to kick them out after 9! Not anymore. That chapter’s closed.

And yes we know everything changes. We adapt…

But…

..What Are We Becoming?

I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe we’ll all be jacked into pods soon, living inside AI-built dreamscapes. But deep down, despite all that tech, there’s something more ancient in us: a desire to connect. A fierce one.

And maybe that’s why AI has suddenly exploded in popularity.

People aren’t just asking ChatGPT about facts — they’re having real conversations. About politics. About meaning. About life. People are even using AI for therapy — actual therapy — because it listens. Because it talks back. Because it doesn’t look at a clock and say, “See you next week.”

That says something, doesn’t it?

We Made the World This Way

AI is going to change everything — it already is. But before it changed us, we changed the world. We made it flat, gray, and impersonal.

And look, I know there are exceptions. There’s still art, beauty, music, and love. There are still splashes of color and moments of connection. But right now — at least to me — they feel fewer and farther between.

And maybe my algorithm is feeding me what it thinks I want. But based on what I’m seeing, I’m not the only one feeling this.

Bring Back the Color

So what can we do?

We can bring back the color. And more importantly — bring back the conversation. Say hello in a store. Nod. Smile. Strike up a chat. Yeah, people might look at you funny. Yeah, it might feel weird. But what’s the harm?

We’re here for such a short time. And if we keep drifting further from each other, that short time is going to feel even lonelier — and yes, grayer.

Let’s not let it.