Over the last decade or so, the amount of connections we have developed through technology is astonishing. The many methods of messaging, calling, and interacting with others have skyrocketed recently because of all the digital platforms being created in our modern world. For many smartphone users and other tech savvy citizens, spending quality time with others consists of small take in person while simultaneously scrolling through texts, emails, and feeds. At what point does humanity go from using technology to advance our lives to becoming imprisoned by it, relying on it to feel a “connection”. In the essays, “There’s No Place Like Home,” by Joel Kotkin and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” by Peter Lovenheim, both authors explain their
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The new trend of a new localism has begun reshaping what is known as corporate nomadism. This term describes families that relocate every few years to accompany the breadwinner of the family while they move up in their profession. According to Kotkin, “Family and technology are two key factors working against nomadism, in the workplace and elsewhere” (454). This trend is crescendoing drastically over just a decade. More than 20% of Americans work from home, and is expected to be at least 63% within five years (Forbes.com). This career alternative to the average everyday commute saves workers and companies, time and money; All the while, maintaining a satisfying attitude towards work and increasing productivity. Furthermore, this ability ties to Kotkin’s idea because, “These home-based workers become critical to the localist economy” (455). Research suggests that employees will save between $1,600 and $6,800 and 15 days of time used commuting to work each year (Forbes.com). Overall, these stay-at-home employees will have more time and money to spend in and about their …show more content…
His, essay lacks enough information and statistics to prove stronger than Kotkin’s essay because of his personal story. Lovenheim’s approach in his article appears sympathetic in order to reach the reader, “A family had vanished, yet the impact on our neighborhood was slight. How could that be? Did I live in a community or just in a house on a street surrounded by people whose lives were entirely separate?” (459). Although, he might not have plenty of information in his work, there are some trends that can support Lovenheim’s contention that people do not know their neighbors as they used to. A journalist for The American Spectator, Janice Shaw Crouse’s article, “The Loneliness of American Society,” supplies many factors that may have affected the drastic increase of fragmentation of the family circle and disintegration of family life, including neighbors. For instance, “The number of people who indicated that they had a neighbor with whom they could confide has dropped more than half since 1985 - from around 19% to about 8%” (Spectator.org). Loneliness is a growing concern nowadays, but technology may not be the only component to blame. Lovenheim concurs with Dr. Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone conclusion that there is a lack of cohesion within the neighborhoods of America. However, Putnam’s argument for a lack of organization’s
The new trend of a new localism has begun reshaping what is known as corporate nomadism. This term describes families that relocate every few years to accompany the breadwinner of the family while they move up in their profession. According to Kotkin, “Family and technology are two key factors working against nomadism, in the workplace and elsewhere” (454). This trend is crescendoing drastically over just a decade. More than 20% of Americans work from home, and is expected to be at least 63% within five years (Forbes.com). This career alternative to the average everyday commute saves workers and companies, time and money; All the while, maintaining a satisfying attitude towards work and increasing productivity. Furthermore, this ability ties to Kotkin’s idea because, “These home-based workers become critical to the localist economy” (455). Research suggests that employees will save between $1,600 and $6,800 and 15 days of time used commuting to work each year (Forbes.com). Overall, these stay-at-home employees will have more time and money to spend in and about their …show more content…
His, essay lacks enough information and statistics to prove stronger than Kotkin’s essay because of his personal story. Lovenheim’s approach in his article appears sympathetic in order to reach the reader, “A family had vanished, yet the impact on our neighborhood was slight. How could that be? Did I live in a community or just in a house on a street surrounded by people whose lives were entirely separate?” (459). Although, he might not have plenty of information in his work, there are some trends that can support Lovenheim’s contention that people do not know their neighbors as they used to. A journalist for The American Spectator, Janice Shaw Crouse’s article, “The Loneliness of American Society,” supplies many factors that may have affected the drastic increase of fragmentation of the family circle and disintegration of family life, including neighbors. For instance, “The number of people who indicated that they had a neighbor with whom they could confide has dropped more than half since 1985 - from around 19% to about 8%” (Spectator.org). Loneliness is a growing concern nowadays, but technology may not be the only component to blame. Lovenheim concurs with Dr. Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone conclusion that there is a lack of cohesion within the neighborhoods of America. However, Putnam’s argument for a lack of organization’s