Loneliness Grips The Nation

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by joyce martino, Jun 1, 2023.

  1. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    I can get by fine on work and weekly family interactions. I occasionally go and and do things unrelated to either, but have plenty to do to keep me busy and have a few neighbors I chat with a few times a week. I grew up on the internet and computers so digital is a more natural way to connect for me I guess compared to a lot of older people. That is probably helpful as life takes all my closest longest term friends in different directions and places. Lately I've really gotten into cooking--trying new things, sourcing new ingredients, etc. That also gets me out into civilization more but I really became accustomed to lockdown life. It really mellowed me out.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2023
  2. AARguy

    AARguy Well-Known Member

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    I am so glad I retired to a state that swore off the China Virus Tyranny by Executive Order. No mandatory masks, no school closings, no business closings, etc. We still joke how our kids will be doctors and astronauts while red state kids are still trying to read.
     
  3. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I get lonely. Right up until Im around people. Then I just wanna be lonely again.
     
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  4. bigfella

    bigfella Well-Known Member

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    This forum isn't a place to come to deal with loneliness. Forums dedicated to politics rarely are, especially if they are large.

    I was having a discussion about isolation just recently. Ultimately it is a choice. There are more opportunities than ever to interact with people. Not just online, but in real life. People just need to choose them. I say this as a lifelong introvert. There are places to go for literally EVERY interest. Pre-internet you had to physically track down like minded people...somehow....or hope you just ran into them. Now you can find them in minutes and chances are there will be some opportunity to meet in person if you desire.

    The guy I was talking to offered the example of a young lady he was employing who had just arrived from France. She was feeling a bit lonely in a new country, so she went online and found a local meet up group pf young French folk. Instant social group. As someone in his 60s he was amazed & impressed by this. In the past few decades I have gound a whole new social group - some who are like family to me now - through music and food. There are others who I consider dear friends who I interact with online. That is in addition to long running personal friendships and family.

    While I do understand it isn't necessarily easy all the time, ultimately people have it within their grasp to find the company of others with remarkable ease if they choose it. I just find it sad that some people are trying to use this issue to push their sad little political barrows. I GREAT example of why some online spaces are so hostile.
     
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  5. Pro_Line_FL

    Pro_Line_FL Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    More PTO and/or sick days would certainly help. There has been some improvement because I remember getting a flat 2 weeks per year, which is simply not enough, considering people need time for themselves too, not just to visit family. Also, a married couple would have two families to visit, so if you spend a week with one family and another with the other family all your vacation is gone, and your parents only got to see you 1 week per year. Now many companies offer more than 2 weeks, especially if you stay with them for more than 5 yrs. On the other hand, a sick-day is a thing of the past, and people have to burn their vacation days if they get sick. Yes, I agree some of that could be changed by legislation like mandating an x number of sick days or min number of PTO, like 3 weeks for full time employees.

    Tech has increased isolation in younger generations, but not so much in older. Face-Time apps are actually helpful in communicating with older folks.

    We? Meh, its way in the past for me, because I never bought in to the conspiracies designed to sow distrust and fear. Some people are still talking about it and think every precaution was done out of ill will as opposed to good intentions. Over a million Americans died, and something had to be done. Did world governments over-react? Maybe, but the measures were not to 'control people' as some would want you to believe.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2023
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  6. Pro_Line_FL

    Pro_Line_FL Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Texas locked down hard, and multiple times, but its good you are over to a point where you think it never happened.

    George, is that you?

     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2023
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  7. Rampart

    Rampart Banned

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    unfortunately, nations (other than russia which seems a little short of cannon fodder) have little use for these "incels," who have always existed in some form.

    i have not noticed much of this epidemic of "loneliness." what i see, esp in young adults, is the requirement for numerous room mates and multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
     
  8. Sirius Black

    Sirius Black Well-Known Member

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    People who have rabid political beliefs have made it much more difficult to have civil discussions between people especially those who do not know each other well because they wish to avoid conflict. Sharp, and sometimes nasty, division reinforces social disconnect and isolation.
     
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  9. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    Yeah, I agree that it is largely a choice. Something as simple as joining a gym could make all the difference. I think it gets especially hard, though, for people in a certain emotional and mental state where they can't motivate themselves to go find friends. And then it may be a matter of finding the right kind of person to reach out to them as well.
     
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  10. bigfella

    bigfella Well-Known Member

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    I get that. I really do. For such people the internet could be a blessing or a curse. It could give them opportunities to interact with people that are less stressful and perhaps easier to initiate. On the other hand, the desire to find a place can leave people vulnerable to scummy grifters & hatemongers who infest the web. Hopefully they can find the better path.
     
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  11. flyboy56

    flyboy56 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    So you are an 80 year old woman?
     
  12. garyd

    garyd Well-Known Member

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    Define rabid political beliefs.
     
  13. Vernan89188

    Vernan89188 Well-Known Member

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    Is that how you talk to people?
    I found it pretty self explanatory.
     
  14. ToughTalk

    ToughTalk Well-Known Member

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    progress boys! We are progressing towards a better future! Weeee
     
  15. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I do feel for the younger folks, I was able to get a place to live on min wage when I first moved out, was just a 2 room place, bedroom and everything else in one area, but one person could afford it back then

    not only that, but things lasted longer back then, once plastic was invented, and digital stuff, everything became disposable (planned obsolescence)

    you buy a house now and the refrigerator, washer\dryer, heat\ac, all those items may need to be replaced more than once
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2023
  16. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    with excessive foreign outsourcing, excessive foreign import and now AI.... not so sure
     
  17. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    It's particularly hard on single folk. I'm at small apartment / trailer home level with my 4-year degree, though I'm sure others' mileage may vary.

    Both the nature of computer technology and the cheapness of modern manufacturing and resulting consumer prices have contributed to making things more disposable. It's been kind of unavoidable to replace an aging computer every few years since there have been microcomputers, and that now includes phones. Things being made so efficiently and otherwise cheaply, often by people earnings pennies per hour somewhere in the developing world, has made the economics of repair less viable than it used to be. It made sense to have a multi-hundred dollar item repaired several decades ago, but with inflation it is simply too expensive to have a shop order parts and fix something in that price range now. Parts and labor end up being more than the price of a new item.

    Is upgrading to a new PC or phone planned obsolescence? There may be a measure of that involved, but I don't know how much any one party can be blamed. Every operating system and application is developed and updated to take advantage of the latest hardware speed and features, which also leads to bloat, and hardware is continually updated to give people an incentive to upgrade, keep the manufacturer in business, and provide new features to be used by the software developers and remain competitive. Consumer products didn't used to change all that rapidly; computer technology has accelerated that.
     
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  18. AARguy

    AARguy Well-Known Member

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    That's what happens when you drop out of school or major in "Women's Studies" rather than something of value.
     
  19. garyd

    garyd Well-Known Member

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    I find it to be pretty much in the eye of the beholder. I am reasonably certain that more than a few people here believe the beliefs I despise to be more than a bit rabid and I know that I feel the same way about more than a few on the left.
     
  20. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In the past, I've also speculated that increasing levels of ethnic/racial diversity might also be a strong factor increasing rates of social alienation.

    A lot of people will just completely dismiss that right off, but I believe it deserves some consideration and thought.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2023
  21. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yes. A very low tolerance for stupid bullshit, indeed.

    I find silence far more comfortable than endless chatter about nothing.
     
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  22. joyce martino

    joyce martino Well-Known Member

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    In my 85 yrs, it's the WORST, will it recover to the America we have known for my grandkids, who knows.....

    I am NOT lonely as I thank my lucky stars for my long good busy fun life.
     
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  23. Jolly Penguin

    Jolly Penguin Well-Known Member

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    I was single and spent 90% of my free time alone most of my life. It was never a problem for me. I now have a significant other, but have zero regrets that I didn't before.

    Humans are exhausting to be around.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2023
  24. joyce martino

    joyce martino Well-Known Member

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    I was married once and single the rest of my life, was busy working, vacationing, dancing, bf's galore, didn't hang with
    boring people and I have the CA sun to keep me happy and healthy for over 57 yrs here from the East and the
    dank and darkness and tons of closed minds. And raisimg a daughter ane then helping with the 2 grandkids when they
    were born. Never bored or lonley...but more t han ever the generations are talking to their machines.
     
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  25. ButterBalls

    ButterBalls Well-Known Member

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    No worries, AI and the internet will soon cure all the loneliness! It will be bestest buddy, gal or anything they so desire ;)
     

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