A Taylor’d Approach
An evolution in community
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
2 of 3 free articles.
There’s a changing sentiment going around as young people dream about their futures: buying homes with friends, sharing a cul-de-sac with loved ones, getting apartments in the same building. Ask a young person and they will likely share an idea in a similar vein. A dream of being within walking distance to those they care about, of having loved ones close by. An aspiration for community.
While being able to connect through screens is certainly a modern marvel – I can’t imagine having to live through an extended quarantine without being able to see the faces of my loved ones through zoom or hear their voices over the phone – it turns out it doesn’t deliver the entirety of what we need. It’s missing something.
There’s a lot we don’t know about the human mind, but psychologists have said that only about 40% of the way we communicate is vocal. There are elements to our interactions that run much deeper, that we can’t consciously perceive.
It sounds a little out there, but it makes sense when you think about the way this connection shows up between people who are close. An old friend you haven’t talked to in a long time giving you a call the same day you thought of them. Accidentally dressing the same as someone you see every day, or saying the same thing at the same time as someone you’re close to. These small evidences are something I think a lot of us have experienced, but maybe haven’t given much thought to. It shows there’s a thread that’s shared between humans, but it doesn’t seem to be able to breach the digital divide.
That’s not to say there’s nothing to be gained from virtual companionship. It’s most certainly better than nothing and can do wonders to keep feelings of isolation at bay. However, there are limits as to what can be shared in a two-dimensional space, and it doesn’t achieve the entirety of what we long for as social animals.
So, what does that mean for generations that have grown up with so many virtual connections?
Adaptation.
Young generations may not have had access to community in the same way as older generations, but deep down they seem to know that connection is missing, and they’re actively taking strides to obtain it. Instead of doing what’s traditionally expected, establishing single-family homes and living alone, statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show they’re co-buying houses with friends, they’re opting in to multigenerational homes. They’re making those dreams of community happen.
None of this exists in a vacuum, of course. A lack of available starter homes and problematic inflation, the pandemic forcing people to reevaluate their priorities and navigate changing times, it’s all contributed greatly to this movement. There are restrictions now that prevent people from striking off entirely on their own.
But when there is the luxury of choice, more and more people are choosing to coexist with the people they value rather than going it alone. They are deciding to create communities and keep their loved ones close.
No matter how times we live in change, we’re still the same social creatures we’ve always been. When life forces us apart, we’ll always find a way to reestablish connection. Society will always course correct toward togetherness.
