If we're talking politically, covid wasn't the turning point.
If we're talking socializing, then covid wasn't the turning point either, however it was sort of a point of no return or something. Not sure how to describe it.
I've seen plenty of romanticizing of pre-covid days from people around the ages of 18-23 today. Back when they still had friends and their life together, and they never really recovered from the isolation at a critical point.