Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

SOCIAL ISOLATION

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by

James A. Bacon
in

In today’s WaPo Page A 3: “Social Isolation Growing in U.S., Study Says: Researcher Cite Drop in the Average Number of Confidants as an Indicator.” The story reports on the General Social Survey funded by the National Science Foundation being published today. The conclusions receive “I-told-you-so’s” from the likes of Robert Putnam (“Bowling Alone”) and others.

With those billions of cell phone calls occupying what seem to be everyone’s ear and attention how can there be growing isolation? Is this another failure of IT to overcome the impact of dysfunctional human settlement patterns?

Dysfunctional (disaggregated, scattered, unconnected) human settlement patterns (sometimes called “urban sprawl”) cause social isolation? Who would have thought it?

Anyone who has been reading Bacons Rebellion. For details see the social chapters of “The Shape of the Future.” (Chapters 8 and 9.)

EMR

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12 responses to “SOCIAL ISOLATION”

  1. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    “I would rather sit alone on a pumpkin, than be crowded on a velvet cushion”

    Henry David Thoreau

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I’d rather sit alone damn near anywhere than to sit at the right hand of God. Hell is other people.

  3. Jim Bacon Avatar
    Jim Bacon

    Signs of the times:

    A quarter of Americans say they have no one with whom they can discuss personal troubles, more than double the number who were similarly isolated in 1985. Overall, the number of people Americans have in their closest circle of confidants has dropped from around three to about two….

    And this quote from Lynn Smith-Lovin, a Duke University sociologist: “We’re not saying people are completely isolated. They may have 600 friends on Facebook.com [a popular networking Web site] and e-mail 25 people a day, but they are not discussing matters that are personally important.”

    Longer work hours and longer commutes are factors blamed for the social isolation. Robert B. Putnam, author of “Bowling Alone,” has estimated that every 10-minute increase in commutes makes it 10 percent less likely that people will establish and maintain close social ties.

  4. Big Kahuna Avatar
    Big Kahuna

    Cell phones actually *reduce* social interaction. Back in The Day, when you sat across from someone at dinner, you were with them. Now, as soon as that cell phone chirps, the person across from you becomes a shell; physically there but emotionally and cognitively elsewhere. It’s not a situation humans deal with well on a subconcious level, and the long term results are uncertain.

  5. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Anon 6:56 is far to modest.

    Hell is not “other people” in general.

    Hell is other people that feel just the way Anon 6:56 does.

    Anon 6:56 is not alone. In accordance with the 20 / 20 / 60 Percent Rule about 20 percent of the population feel the way he does.

    About 20 percent also believe the world is flat, that babies are delivered by storks and that building more roadways without fundamental change in human settlement pattern will solve traffic congestion.

    The future of Civilization depends upon maintaining a democracy so the 20 percent view on any issue do not rule.

    EMR

  6. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    The first two comments in this string are strange:

    One fundamentally misunderstands Thoreau or takes him out of context to serve up a meanspirited, snide comment.

    The other suggests both irreverence and idiocy.

    Most people can think of groups from 2 (a grandfather / grandson) to 375,000 (opening day at OctoberFest in Munchen) with whom they would like to spend time.

    The problem is not other people, it is a lack of time to share with them.

  7. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Maybe, but Thoreau also said an number of other things of a similar nature, such as “I’ve never met a companion as companionable as solitude.” and “I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the morning when no one calls.”

    Surely there is a wide range of sociability from vivacious to standoffish. For some reclusive means cloistered.

    Then there are the true antisocials and sociopaths. Surely there can’t be any basis for claiming that the geography of how we live will change the way we feel about each other. It is like claiming more densely inhabited spaces will help prevent obesity.

    There is an essential difference between solitude and loneliness. Thoreau and Slocum both spent long stretches of time alone. Who can tell me which of them said “These people think they have me in jail.” ?

  8. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    “About 20 percent also believe the world is flat, that babies are delivered by storks and that building more roadways without fundamental change in human settlement pattern will solve traffic congestion.”

    And these folks generally LOVE being surrounded by people who will listen to – and re-enforce – their nonsense. People who don’t have to be so engaged can put their time to other and better use.

  9. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Jim:

    Thank you for reading the story!

    Settlement pattern determines the length of commutes and the opportunity to make connections.

    I would say RHTCs, the focus of PROPERTY DYNAMICS are directly impacted by these findings.

    EMR

  10. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Good news for those who believe that people are hell:

    There are a lot of web sites for you to find fellow true believers:

    Try: http://www.wildroots.org/uncivilixed.htm

    Do not expect to find these folks at your local Chamber of Commerce fund raiser and they do not support building more roadways, but hey, you have to take the good with the bad.

    EMR

  11. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    More good news.

    Those who believe people are hell and that separation and social isolation is a good thing may enjoy blissful elderly years.

    AP reports on a new study on Alzheimer’s with a quote from a neural scientist who believes the new data shows that “feelings of social connectedness can help preserve brain function.”

    If you hate people and social interaction, no problem, soon you may not even recognize them. People well try to avoid you too.

    http://www.cnn.com/2006/Health/06/26/senior.moments.ap/index.html

    EMR

  12. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    OOPS

    That web site two posts back is:

    http://www.wildroots.org/uncivilized.htm

    (A “z” not an “x” in uncivilized.)

    Amazing how many notes I got to point that out in just a short time.

    EMR

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