Humans were designed to live in extended families and tribes, our entire lives with the same, close population. Hermitage is a rare, unnatural lifestyle, historically reserved for the few dedicated to spiritual quests, not the masses.
The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
121–130 of 254 posts
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#122It's a bit paradoxical. I have a tech company and most staff want to come to the office 1 day a week. Getting them to come is very tough. Many of my staff and friends don't want to have kids, make no effort to find a partner and find all sorts of excuses. Netflix, the internet and these things are part of the problem, but I have no clue what the solution is. There is only one way to not be lonely - be with people who…
I've chatted with a couple of people who feel that their country (USA) is descending into chaos, and they don't feel like investing in a doomed future. I agree with the general feeling, but I'm trying to use it to motivate myself to have more fun. As to why people feel doomed: Republicans are putting the most faithful trump zealots in places to most influence the next elections. Remember that the Republicans believe…
So everything was fine before 2016? The DNC was tampering with the Democratic primaries before the 2016 election cycle. The ruling class decides what is best and everyone else is expected to go along with it with no questions asked, "or else you're helping Trump." When there is no more Trump, there will be a new Trump to replace him. Trump is a symptom, not the disease. The mainstream media beats the Trump drum because it's good for ratings and because talking about the overarching systemic corruption is too broad - every superhero story needs a villain. They would stand to burn too many bridges by targeting the corrupt groups that fund and connect them. As such the root of the problem is seemingly impossible to address. This is a reason why I feel hopeless about the future here in the US.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
Back in the 60s, people were buying homes in their early 20s or even late teens because it was that affordable. Obviously that is a bit of a historical anomaly, but it's almost a necessary complement to the idea you're supposed to become an adult and mature and grow up after age 18.
They also had things a lot harder in many ways than we do. The 60’s is over 50 years ago now. The world changes a lot in that time. Basing your expectations on the 60’s is unrealistic.
Yes you're right. We do have many modern conveniences and information they didn't have. So why would we go backwards on this key metric of home prices and rent? Or housing as a percentage of household income? It is an economic, social, and moral failure (see the situation in Los Angeles)
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#124Looking at the key recommendations, there appears to be a policy aspect playing into this as well. If you feel lonely, consider this at the polls - Who is advocating for social infrastructure and having a commitment to more than ourselves, including those who are vulnerable? On the flip side, be wary of those pushing personal liberty above all else and those who are trying to damage public health campaigns and instit…
What about the policy aspect of telling people to isolate at home, avoid friends and family and other social gatherings, etc. for nearly 2 years now? I'm not a fan of making everything a political issue, but since you went there - I see one group of politicians actively trying to cut us off from each other (well-intentioned or not) with venue closures, capacity limits, travel restrictions, event cancellation, recomme…
State lock downs in the US generally lasted on the order of months (some amount of time between March-May of 2020), not years. If you're under the impression that you're still under a stay at home order and you can't see your family, or if you think your local music venue isn't putting on concerts, I would urge you to verify if that's truly the case. I mean, you can watch a football game on Sunday and see this. Also, treating a reaction to a global pandemic like it's an evergreen policy plank is disingenuous.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
They need stable, actionable futures. Homes they can afford to own, communities they can raise kids in, an environment that won't go up in flames; they need systems that have their back.
I'm sympathetic to the later part, but first part not what they want. They want the dynamism of being able to change jobs and careers, they all want the opportunity for career progression which for the most part isn't there (it's always been competitive). That means more risk and all the things that come along with it. I think even 'remote work' will have a serious of consequences we're not ready to accept, which is…
> They want the dynamism of being able to change jobs and careers, they all want the opportunity for career progression which for the most part isn't there (it's always been competitive).
Why do people want this though? 50 years ago, you could be a mechanic, work 50 hours a week and own a house. The wife could be at home to take care of the kids. These days, both have to work 60 hours a week to afford a rental apartment.
in the 70's, a home cost about 4.5 times the median yearly household income. Right now it's about 7 times the yearly income. That doesn't seem like a massive increase (even though it's more than a 50% increase), but employment of married women also increased from 40% to 60%. So while we have, on average, more earners in a household, we pay more of our income on housing. It's a double whammy.
So people want careers in order to start earning a living wage in order to be able to actually raise kids and live a meaningful life in a nice home. People don't just want a career because they want a career, they want that because they don't want to be wage slaves who don't get to live a life. Also, they don't get to raise their kids, because they don't have time for that.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#126The pandemic public policy reaction has deepened an epidemic of loneliness.
ftfy.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
The oldest gen z are just out of college though. I think it’s the younger millennials you might be describing (people a decade into their career with little prospect of home ownership).
Back in the 60s, people were buying homes in their early 20s or even late teens because it was that affordable. Obviously that is a bit of a historical anomaly, but it's almost a necessary complement to the idea you're supposed to become an adult and mature and grow up after age 18.
Up to the 1990s it was possible to buy a home on a single income in NL.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#128It's a bit paradoxical. I have a tech company and most staff want to come to the office 1 day a week. Getting them to come is very tough. Many of my staff and friends don't want to have kids, make no effort to find a partner and find all sorts of excuses. Netflix, the internet and these things are part of the problem, but I have no clue what the solution is. There is only one way to not be lonely - be with people who…
I would love to go to the office more often, but honestly it's just not worth it. Nowadays I live in a country that is notorious for its strict work-life separation, and just trying to get to know people during lunch, or go out for a beer on a Friday is almost impossible. Most of the tech department is from abroad actually, but I guess cultural assimilation is a very real thing.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#129It's a bit paradoxical. I have a tech company and most staff want to come to the office 1 day a week. Getting them to come is very tough. Many of my staff and friends don't want to have kids, make no effort to find a partner and find all sorts of excuses. Netflix, the internet and these things are part of the problem, but I have no clue what the solution is. There is only one way to not be lonely - be with people who…
I got involved with a weekly online poker game with some college buddies early on during the pandemic. It's been life changing. I know at least once a week I'm hanging out with friends and there are no expectations or pressure other than shooting the shit and playing poker.
I'm drastically less lonely based on that one life change. It's incredible what a difference that can make.
Re: The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
#130It's a bit paradoxical. I have a tech company and most staff want to come to the office 1 day a week. Getting them to come is very tough. Many of my staff and friends don't want to have kids, make no effort to find a partner and find all sorts of excuses. Netflix, the internet and these things are part of the problem, but I have no clue what the solution is. There is only one way to not be lonely - be with people who…
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