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.
Edit: I’m not advocating for the office, I just think people like me wouldn’t do very well without other changes, and I think there are more people who don’t know how to make adult friends than we think. I’m not even an introvert, I just don’t go to any place often enough to make friends from it.
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.
If your only social interactions are through work, you’ve got a problem already.
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.
Don’t get me wrong I have certainly had my fair share of bad work interactions but most were benign and some became friends. Although I’m not advocating for the office, I just think people like me wouldn’t do very well without other changes, and I think there are more people who don’t know how to make adult friends than we think. I’m not even an introvert, I just don’t go to any place often enough to make friends from it
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 worked with the public. I was constantly stressed out and kept away from my coworkers I actually got along with. I always felt “alone in a crowd.”
I’d lie if I said thoughts of self-termination never crossed my mind. Only one or two of those coworkers actually kept up with me when I left, too.
I get a little lonely at home now, but I’m with people I love, and I make time to talk to people by choice.
Quality over quantity, I’d say.
