LONELINESS IN NUMBERS

This document is an article written by Lane Wallace in January 2010. Lane Wallace is an author, pilot and entrepreneur who has written several books for NASA.
The text focuses on the link between social networks – and more generally the Internet; and loneliness. The document is composed of 4 parts. We’ll successively and concisely introduce them. Then, we’ll broaden the debate, by weighing the pros and cons of the over connectivity.

First of all, Lane Wallace relates that during the past 10 years, the ubiquity of the Internet and all its social networks is one of the most significant changes. We saw a phenomenal boom in the growth of Internet access. Even the poorest countries around the world are getting more and more the Internet usage.
Nowadays, it’s easier to connect with friends all around the worlds. There are so different means to share data such as photos or videos or to communicate without delay. So, we can doubt about the relevance of the title. With all those means, how could we be isolated?
The 3rd paragraph partly answers to our last question. William Deresiewicz, formerly an associate professor of English, quotes two studies that show that in 1985, one out of 10 people lacked a close confidant. In 2004, that number climbed to four out of 10.

To cut short this 1st part, we note that with the emergence and empowerment of new technologies, there is a steady increase of the loneliness. There is an inverse effect: more we are connected, more we are alone.
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In despite of all those social networks or mass communication vehicles, some people still take time to build and maintain deep friendships, have cultural activities such as reading,… But as Lane Wallace explain it, there are a lot of distractions and potential on Internet, and we often feel guilty because we surf more than we spend time for family and friends. We have to juggle between availability and obligations.