Does everything feel broken but weirdly normal? There’s a word for that

Large-scale systems are crumbling, yet daily life continues. The Soviet-era concept of hypernormalization can help when dysfunction is the status quo

In January, the comedian Ashley Bez posted an Instagram video of herself, trying to describe a heavy mood in the air. “How come everything feels all …?” she says, trailing off and grimacing exaggeratedly into the camera.

Digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush saw the video, and got it immediately.