One is the deadliest number

[dixiehack]

I have no doubt that this will become conspiracy fodder and attack ads in short order, but I think they are onto something here.

Surgeon general lays out framework to tackle loneliness and 'mend the social fabric of our nation' | CNN

Social connection is as essential to humanity as food, water or shelter, the advisory says. Humans have historically needed to rely on each other for survival, and modern people remain wired for that connection and for proximity to others.

"Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to make the same investments in addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis," Murthy says in his advisory. "We are called to build a movement to mend the social fabric of our nation. It will take all of us -- individuals and families, schools and workplaces, health care and public health systems, technology companies, governments, faith organizations, and communities -- working together to destigmatize loneliness and change our cultural and policy response to it."

There’s a lot of ambitious stuff here, from improving transit to rethinking technology safeguards to parents putting down the damn phone and actually parenting.

And maybe this isn’t the right answer, but it is asking the right questions. We need to reframe how we look at loneliness and isolation and we need to course correct. Almost nobody is happy with “the way things are going.” Maybe that’s a common ground to start making a little bit of change? Because I don’t think we can go on this way and be a healthy country and society.

 

[MisterCreosote]

I agree it’s worth attempting to address.

We as a society have completely lost the ability to tolerate and relate to one another.

 

[swingline]

Ambitious, but I think loneliness is part of being human. In the end, there’s a life inside of us that only we know, and how much lonelier can you get than that?

 

[Songbird]

The SG was on CNN last night to talk about how working nonstop to climb that ladder led to his immense lonliness.

 

[TigerVols]

I agree it’s worth attempting to address.

We as a society have completely lost the ability to tolerate and relate to one another.

**** off.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I agree it’s worth attempting to address.

We as a society have completely lost the ability to tolerate and relate to one another.

Au contraire. I tolerate you people well — better than most other people, in fact.

Wait …

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I’m aware and thankful that I was on my career path and pretty fully formed before the digital/social media explosion.

Interpersonal social skills are severely lacking, IMO, with a lot of 35s and younger. And I can’t imagine what the pandemic effect will have on that.

As said above, ambitious but worth a look. The extremes will always be the extremes. But the vast majority are not extreme.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

It’s easier to be alone now
So many options we didn’t have as kids with the advent of Internet, cable and streaming

 

[CD Boogie]

If people read more fiction — on paper, not a kindle or a phone — society would be helped greatly because reading fiction has been shown to improve people’s empathy and compassion. But people dont see the value in caring about other people’s viewpoints. They just want theirs to be respected and reinforced. If you can incentivize the reading of fiction and putting down devices — maybe as a wellness initiative through health insurance — i think you’d have a start. But good luck with that ****.

 

[MisterCreosote]

It’s easier to be alone now
So many options we didn’t have as kids with the advent of Internet, cable and streaming

I’ve been of the belief for quite some time that a ton of people were relieved, not panicked, by the isolation the pandemic forced on us.

 

[swingline]

I don't know about a ton, but Tony Shalhoub and his TV brother probably approved.

 

[The Big Ragu]

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I’ve been of the belief for quite some time that a ton of people were relieved, not panicked, by the isolation the pandemic forced on us.

My guess (simply anecdotal) is this is true for a vast majority of adults and that most adults who complained about the impact of isolation on interpersonal relationships were just looking for a reason to ***** about everything being shutdown. But I do believe isolation, and the accompanying uncertain anxiety of why we were being isolated, is going to have a big impact on kids of the time. We're old enough that we could process the uncertainty and anxiety, but kids are not. I've seen it w/my daughter.

 

[Alma]

I agree it’s worth attempting to address.

We as a society have completely lost the ability to tolerate and relate to one another.

We relate through conflict!

Seriously, it's a real thing. As our church has returned from the pandemic - we basically went Zoom for all of 2020 once it started and part of 2021, then spring of 2021 started back with some outside distanced services on blankets - we've found people really spacing themselves in the pews, talking some, but not a ton, and high-tailing out of there after service is over. I think people had to get used to each other again a bit.

And then I absolutely think tech and social media has taken its toll.

 

[Alma]

Interpersonal social skills are severely lacking, IMO, with a lot of 35s and younger.

Obviously folks 35 and under might disagree but I am...struck...by some of the group conversations I'm in, whether I initiate them or not, where some of the folks that are 35 or younger are hard to talk to. Especially men. And on some level it's almost admirable. Like, wow, you're really self-contained and unimpressed.

 

[CD Boogie]

Obviously folks 35 and under might disagree but I am...struck...by some of the group conversations I'm in, whether I initiate them or not, where some of the folks that are 35 or younger are hard to talk to. Especially men. And on some level it's almost admirable. Like, wow, you're really self-contained and unimpressed.

Oh so they’re assholes

 

[Alma]

Oh so they’re assholes

Everybody has their own definition of that - I think of overbearing, always trying to start something when I think of a-holes.

This is more, flat affect, mind-somewhere-else-or-still-processing-what-everybody-said persona.

But that may be the circles I'm often in, too.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Obviously folks 35 and under might disagree but I am...struck...by some of the group conversations I'm in, whether I initiate them or not, where some of the folks that are 35 or younger are hard to talk to. Especially men. And on some level it's almost admirable. Like, wow, you're really self-contained and unimpressed.

I definitely think there's a generational thing that has happened forever... older people tsk tsking the younger generations. And I acknowledge that some of what I perceive could be part of that and nothing to do with the topic. I'm sure I have situational blindness to a degree.

But in real life, I'm an easy person to work with and talk to. And in real life, there really seems to be a disconnect on a human level. Not blaming, for sure. They've come up in a totally different environment than I did. And maybe in the long run it won't matter as they assume roles of leadership and take over.

 

[dixiehack]

It’s only been a hot minute since internet addiction was treated as something more than a throwaway joke for morning drive radio and late night comics. We still just know a fraction of how it has rewired our brains and with smartphones we know a fraction of a fraction. That thread on the Web turning 30 got me to consider for the first time how much online addiction may have accelerated my dropping out of college the first time by reinforcing the terrible sleep habits of my part-time midnight-5 am radio show job.

We Gen X’ers were really the first wave of lab rats, and it has only shot up exponentially from there.

 

[dixiehack]

Seriously, it's a real thing. As our church has returned from the pandemic - we basically went Zoom for all of 2020 once it started and part of 2021, then spring of 2021 started back with some outside distanced services on blankets - we've found people really spacing themselves in the pews, talking some, but not a ton, and high-tailing out of there after service is over. I think people had to get used to each other again a bit.

This past weekend was our first churchwide 5th Sunday brunch since Covid. It is when the different committees provide updates on congregation business and take questions, so in true Methodist fashion we attempt to cushion the conflict with extra calories. Our worship services happen in neighboring buildings and so we are having to fight through people’s tendency to be tribal and blame the other side for our issues.