The cost of spending time alone

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Society & Culture, News, Politics, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.6 • 10.8K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Americans are spending an historic amount of time alone, a phenomenon that is often referred to as an "epidemic of loneliness." But are we actually lonely? Or do we prefer being by ourselves? And if we do, what does that mean for us and our society? Today’s guest is journalist Derek Thompson, who, in a recent essay for the Atlantic, challenges the conventional wisdom around loneliness. He argues that Americans prefer solitude, and that preference presents a wholly different kind of challenge for the country. Derek and Sean discuss the far-reaching effects of America’s antisocial behavior, including what it means for our society, our politics, and our future. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling) Guest: Derek Thompson, staff writer, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:05.0	You've no doubt heard the phrase loneliness epidemic many times.
1:09.1	But what does it mean to say that there's a loneliness problem?
1:12.4	More to the point, what does it mean to be lonely?
1:21.1	At the very least, loneliness implies two things. One, that you're alone, and two, that you don't want to be. That second part is important. To feel lonely is to yearn for connection and company. If you don't want to connect with
1:30.3	someone else, you're alone, but you're not lonely. Here's a question we haven't really asked in these
1:37.2	conversations about loneliness. Are Americans alone because they don't have anywhere to go or they
1:42.6	don't have anyone to go with? don't have anyone to go with,
1:47.2	or are they choosing to be alone?
1:52.6	And if they're choosing to be alone, even when we know that's not good for us,
1:54.7	why are they doing this?
	...

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