The Philadelphia Area Just Lost One Of Its Best Malls For Good, And It's A Sad Reminder That True Americana Is Dying FAST

I love the internet. If it weren't for the internet, I wouldn't have a job. Hell, you guys wouldn't be reading these words that I'm typing right now. But I can also acknowledge that our shift to a more digital world has killed countless aspects of what made living in this country so great. Think about all the communal, shared experiences that have ceased to exist in this internet age.

Perhaps the biggest casualty in this regard is the death of the American mall. And it's a damn shame. 

This weekend, the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, Pennsylvania closed its doors forever. My extended family lived in Northeast Philadelphia for decades, and this was always their go-to mall. I was lucky enough to visit it during Christmastime as a child, which is a memory I still look back on fondly. That place fucking ROCKED in December. 

This mall, like many others that have unfortunately folded, served as a destination for families during the holidays, yes. But it also served as a perfect hangout spot for kids during the other 11 months of the year. It was a place where parents could feel comfortable dropping off their children and allowing them to roam around with their buddies. It was safe. It was fun. And then you could pick them up at the food court later on in the day. No problem. 

As a 26-year-old, I think I might be part of the last generation to experience that. It doesn't seem like kids these days have those types of outlets to meet up with their friends. When I was a teenager, it was primarily malls and movie theaters, but both those places seem to be foreign concepts to kids these days. It's really worrisome for the future of our society. People are growing up so isolated from one another. It's depressing as hell. 

Not to mention, I'm just still an old soul who likes to shop in person (especially when it comes to clothes), and it's alarming how many of the stores I used to go to have permanently shut down in this era of online shopping. 

Everything is going digital. Nothing is physical, tangible, or face-to-face. And the malls dying is a prime example of that. 

Hate to fucking see it.