We Need to Pull Together – Not Pull Apart
“The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy of any rich country, which was not true for most of the 20th century. The U.S. has the highest murder rate of any rich country and the world’s highest rate of fatal drug overdoses. It also has one of the lowest rates of trust in the federal government and among the highest rates of youth depression and single-parent families. When Americans are asked how satisfied they are with their own lives, the U.S. ranks lower than it did three decades ago,” said Douglas Harris, a Tulane University economist who studied the data and provided a report card on the health of Americans.
“If there is one overarching theme, it’s that we’re pulling apart — economically, socially, and politically,” said Harris. Perhaps the most common theme that the researchers mentioned involves social isolation.
Americans spend less time in group activities whether it is sports leagues, labor union meetings, or church gatherings. Teenagers spend less time dating or hanging out. Adults and children alike spend hours every day staring at their phones, often wearing headphones. Covid aggravated isolation, and some social behaviors — like working from an office or eating in restaurants — have not fully recovered. Political polarization can make people uncomfortable with neighbors who have different opinions. And so, we have pulled apart from each other.
I will add another observation. As residential buildings include more and more amenities, residents have fewer reasons to leave the building. Dog walking is a wonderful social activity because the dogs want to stop and meet other dogs which means dog owners engage with other dog owners. But if your residential building has a dog run or other dog amenities, owners do not leave the building. The same can be said of fitness areas versus venturing out to a fitness class. In addition, food deliveries relieve residents of heading to a neighborhood restaurant and Amazon deliveries have replaced shopping in the neighborhood.
What is the answer to pulling apart? Pull together!! Might I suggest a coffee date at Ideology or Virtue Coffee or a drink with a friend at Prank Bar or Audiograph or First Draft. Or lunch or dinner at Pine and Crane, rooftop of The Proper, newly opened Culturas or Mafia Sushi. Or arrange for a group of friends/neighbors/acquaintances to take a class at Throw Clay and bring home a nice piece of pottery. Or hang out at Wishbone Park and see if you meet a new friend or wander over to Grand Hope Park and walk barefoot through the grass. But most of all, check out what SPNA (South Park Neighborhood Association) is offering and come be a part of the pulling together.
If you want to know more about SPNA, check out our website www.spnadtla.org or email us at spna.dtla@gmail.com.
By Debra Shrout