Americans are now spending more time alone than ever, Derek Thompson writes. It’s changing our personalities, our politics, and even our relationship to reality.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
The human race is mostly garbage. 76 million retards voted for Trump (I'm bringing back retard, deal with it). Being alone and shutting out the insanity is awesome. Focus on you and yours. Keep your world small, you will be much happier.
This article is highly problematic. First, they never define alone, and from what I read, you're required to be with friends to not be alone. People eating alone at a restaurant are alone as well. Remember that two can be as lonely as one, it's the loneliest number next to the number one.
Walked out this morning, I don't believe what I saw
Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore
Seems I'm not alone at being alone
Hundred billion castaways, looking for a home.
The Police, Message in Bottle
This shift in our society away from one another is truly sad. It leads to less friends for adults and children alike. We need to interact with those we know and strangers alike.Children seem to be having less play interaction with others as well. This could have a profound impact on their lives.
IT has certainly driven a decrease in interaction. Emails replaced phone calls, texting replaced emails, and now emoticons serve as texting replies. Definitely far less interactive.
Very good article, although totally one-sided in blaming the people for changing behaviors. Coincidentally (?), the isolationism subtly began when USG stopped investing in The People and began dividing people: first by smoking/non-smoking and eventually into Republican or Democrat.
There are probably a lot of other factors to consider as well. 100 years ago ppl were more urban and lived in tightly packed inner city neighborhoods. Today it's suburbs and rural bedroom communities. Ppl may not be interacting as much bcause they're busy commuting, working and doing life things.
I disagree. Rural America has been around at least that long. While it is true, children are playing more video games, there are also fewer adults at home because it takes two incomes/jobs to pay the bills, and stranger/danger and mass shootings changed children’s freedoms.
Or made it worse. I think socialization forces us to moderate our extreme tendencies bc we’re face to face with people and its harder to be an asshole…but when we retreat to virtual settings there’s very little social pressure to calm tf down and be nice.
I've been an introvert since childhood. Mainly because others were always taking a shit on me. Nobody respecting boundaries. Back then there were none. Now I don't shy away from contact, but I'm perfectly content to keep the fuck to myself. My music. My books. My art.
That’s interesting to mention, because I feel like books, music, and art are automatically social. It’s async communication, but a connection nonetheless. Like writing a letter.
What I feel is especially toxic about our phones is the pestering nature of texting: the invasion on boundaries.
I believe a key to reversing this is young people not having smartphones.
Outside of their mental, emotional, psychological maturation decline that smartphones are causative of, young people also have much larger bodies; more outside activity & LESS face to electronics can help turn both around.
reading through the comments, it is sadly obvious that most didn't read this great article. As a mostly single millenial who has lived alone for the past 10 years and now WFM, i've noticed profound negative impacts on my life. Sometimes I even have a hard time speaking as I am getting kind of rusty
There's really nothing to be gained from being out in this world. It exists solely for the enrichment of a few, and we're just the dirt under their shoes.
In the earlier parts of the pandemic the same folks were okay spreading disease so unfortunately my isolation started because of health concerns for me and my family
I feel this. I consider myself an extrovert and even I have found myself drifting toward wanting more “alone time” than I used to. Is it bc of my phone? Maybe. I still feel recharged by being with people, but my need for it has declined some. Overall this trend in society (and me) is saddening
Comments
Only truth it seems is entropy is real in historical terms. Everything degrades. Countries. democracy. US.
Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore
Seems I'm not alone at being alone
Hundred billion castaways, looking for a home.
The Police, Message in Bottle
Why should I mingle with people that can't do the bare minimum to keep others safe while risking being killed by an angry man whose wife left him?
What I feel is especially toxic about our phones is the pestering nature of texting: the invasion on boundaries.
Outside of their mental, emotional, psychological maturation decline that smartphones are causative of, young people also have much larger bodies; more outside activity & LESS face to electronics can help turn both around.
I'm disabled and immunocompromised and society decided to ignore away an ongoing pandemic, forcing people like me into isolation.
I'm a social creature so hear me loud and clear when I tell you to shove this bullshit up your ass.
Communities are spread out with no public transportation, so going anywhere requires a car.
Companies exploit workers, lobbying against overtime, paid vacation, sick leave, and more.
And to top it all off, corpos use media to keep us divided.
a movie abt one dude being so hapless he couldnt even make french toast won an oscar.
Everyone's finally discovering "Bowling Alone" but we've been here with men for 50 years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw1YwZlfijg