Over the T-Day weekend, we watched the movie classic Home Alone with grandkids …
… or, as the 4-year-old kept calling it “Provolone”
So, the phrase “Home Alone” was front-of-mind for me … so the below WaPo chart caught my eye.
The data is from the BLS’ American Time Use Survey (ATUS) measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.
In the last category “socializing”, a stark trend occurred”:
Of course, during the Covid lockdown period, people isolated themselves more, i.e. “time alone” spiked.
Pre-Covid, folks were spending about 2 hours a week alone.
That increased to 10 hours per week … and has stayed there post-lockdowns.
Not exactly hermit territory, but statistically significant.
Social behaviorists hypothesize that social relationships were weakened or broken during Covid … and wonder if they’ll be restored over time … or whether less socialization is a new normal.
If it is a new normal, psychologists warn of an apparent correlated trend in anxiety, depression and aggression.
WaPo’s observes:
“You can help reverse these trends today without waiting for the researchers and policymakers to figure it all out.”
What to do?
- Take advantage of the holiday season … accept the invitations that are offered … and offer a few invites yourself.
- Be proactive and reach out to rekindle relationships that may have wither a bit during Covid.
Good advice.
The whole WaPo article is worth reading.
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P.S. In the movie Home Alone, Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) was a young boy whose parents inadvertently left him behind when they took a trip to Paris. Chaos ensued.
The Homa Files 