A
phenomenon that is observed at most universities & colleges in
small towns whereby the students living in and around the
campus spend months at a time
oblivious to
the world at large.
It tends to happen as a result of these university towns not having much else to offer in the way of entertainment, thus leaving the already busy students with no channel to the world outside school. When these students emerge from the bubble at the end of the semester, they are astounded by the things that have changed without them realizing it.
This phenomenon is more acute among frosh, who are subjugated by the all-encompassing nature of moving to a new town and having to suddenly make an entirely new set of friends. It causes them to temporarily lose sight of their past lives and the state of humanity. Anything not connected with the school in some way is irrelevant.