I worry that the widespread acceptance of work from home without any other societal changes will increase the level of loneliness. It’s a solution that has to come packaged with other quality of life enhancements or social trust is going into an even faster free fall. I wonder what a wfh/social solution would look like
In theory if you have a circle of friends already, then social should be better with WFH because when it is quitting time you are immediately done and have more evening for social gatherings. if you recently moved cities before WFH, not having colleages might cut down chances of finding new friend groups
That’s fair, my coworkers are really the only people I talk to. I don’t know how to make friends as an adult honestly. I don’t think I’m the only one in this boat
That’s an issue, but it’s not an issue for your job to solve for you, especially not when “solving” it would negatively impact the rest of the coworkers who prefer the benefits of WFH.
The most common advice I’ve seen about stuff like that is to get involved in hobbies that have clubs or groups that meet in your free time. You can try out new things or join a club about stuff you’re already interested in, and you’ll meet people doing stuff that you’re interested in and sometimes they can become your friends.
I have only ever had stressful social interaction at work, except for my current job where I’m generally the only one there and as long as I’m within budget whatever I say goes. That is to say the only non stressful job I have done is the one that is 99% just me with no other people and I only even need to be there because it’s physical work, the odd clerical thing is done from home on a phone work profile.
Most of the social gatherings I’ve been to have been set up with coworkers. Maybe I was conditioned by the American education system but I don’t think I’ve ever made a friend outside of a place that we both were expected to go to consistently. I’m not very familiar with constructs outside of that if I’m honest.
I worry that the widespread acceptance of work from home without any other societal changes will increase the level of loneliness. It’s a solution that has to come packaged with other quality of life enhancements or social trust is going into an even faster free fall. I wonder what a wfh/social solution would look like
If your only social interactions are through work, you’ve got a problem already.
Yeah, I agree. That’s why I think loneliness would increase, being at work masks a pretty significant issue
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
You have potentially two or more hours added to your day for socializing.
Get lunch nearby, go to the park, do stuff in the evening.
If you’re too isolated physically that speaks to urban sprawl and car dependency more than wfh imo
It’s going to result in the wholesale exportation of white collar jobs overseas. It’s already underway.
In theory if you have a circle of friends already, then social should be better with WFH because when it is quitting time you are immediately done and have more evening for social gatherings. if you recently moved cities before WFH, not having colleages might cut down chances of finding new friend groups
I’ve been working from home for over 15 years now. One thing I do not miss is the “social” aspect of the office.
That’s fair, my coworkers are really the only people I talk to. I don’t know how to make friends as an adult honestly. I don’t think I’m the only one in this boat
That’s an issue, but it’s not an issue for your job to solve for you, especially not when “solving” it would negatively impact the rest of the coworkers who prefer the benefits of WFH.
The most common advice I’ve seen about stuff like that is to get involved in hobbies that have clubs or groups that meet in your free time. You can try out new things or join a club about stuff you’re already interested in, and you’ll meet people doing stuff that you’re interested in and sometimes they can become your friends.
I have only ever had stressful social interaction at work, except for my current job where I’m generally the only one there and as long as I’m within budget whatever I say goes. That is to say the only non stressful job I have done is the one that is 99% just me with no other people and I only even need to be there because it’s physical work, the odd clerical thing is done from home on a phone work profile.
Fucking go outside and go to social gatherings
Most of the social gatherings I’ve been to have been set up with coworkers. Maybe I was conditioned by the American education system but I don’t think I’ve ever made a friend outside of a place that we both were expected to go to consistently. I’m not very familiar with constructs outside of that if I’m honest.