“Its a dramatic shift in our daily lives, Sharkey told theNew York Times.
“Almost every part of our lives is more likely to take place at home.
Between 2003 and 2019, the amount of time spent at home rose by about 30 minutes.
Photo:Olena Ruban/Getty Images
And while the numbers have decreased since, they still are nowhere near 2019 levels.
There’s much more to the story, and a lot of it has to do with technology.
In 2019, about 6% of people worked from home, according to theU.S.
The pandemic caused working from home to skyrocket.
In 2022, about one in five people were working from home, according to theU.S.
The shift to working from home has a larger impact than just the in-office time.
It helped decrease commuting time.
But that’s not the only thing we’re able to do online.
Surgeon General pointing to an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation.”
But like many things, the answers aren’t quite so simple.
That’s led to people reporting a much smaller social circle.
According to the U.S. “Connecting online can be a lot like consuming empty calories,” Killam says.
“The quantity of time alone each of us needs varies,” Killam says.
“What distinguishes alone time from loneliness is how you feel.
If youre enjoying it, its solitude, and thats a good thing.
Isolation and loneliness can be more problematic.”
Create a to-love list
One of Killam’s favorite tips is creating a “to-love” list.
Instead, sneak in moments for connection.
There are lots of studies showing even simple gestures like that create connection.”
“its also important to spend time with friends, with coworkerseven complete strangers, like your barista.
Data shows that those interactions still actually matter.”
“This study is a great jumping-off point for reflecting on our social situations and habits.”
Ponce, Stephanie A, Alexis Green, Paula D. Strassle, and Anna Maria Napoles.
Wilms, Patrick, Jan Schroder, Rudiger Reer, and Lorenz Scheit.
19 (September 28, 2022): 12344. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912344.
