Virtual Reality as a Solution to Fermi's Paradox

Reaching a certain level of intelligence and technological advancement may lead a species to create a more satisfying virtual reality, causing them to become self-destructive by neglecting reproduction and other essential activities. This could explain why there is a lack of evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. The so-called 'meaning crisis' experienced by people, where they felt starved of meaning, led to the rise of new atheism and an increase in myth-making and consumption of content as surrogate activities to fill the void.