4 ms·

Not sure what's the point of these letters, reminds me of the comments section in the NYT which I find politically overcharged and offensive. It was an article

• whorleater 8y ago
  Letters to the editor are internet comments before internet comments were a thing. The intent was to display variety of opinions relating to a topic so you weren't beholden to just the newspaper's stance. Not totally sure why they continue to publish letters, I suppose they're usually higher quality than internet comments because they require more effort.
  • humanrebar 8y ago
    They're higher quality because they're curated. It's possible that the average submission is better than the average internet comment due to the level of effort required. Or perhaps some of it is due to the fact that the printed letters are archived for posterity. But regardless, the average letter is not printed. There is only room for a select few.
• joe_the_user 8y ago
  I should mention the letter seem to cover a spectrum of opinions, from doubting the problem to bemoaning it. Finding solid evidence that loneliness is increasing is a problem. I believe that it is but it is something that's simply hard to demonstrate. I think Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone was one of the most convincing arguments for the breakdown of community in the US but even that careful, well documented study had it's significant critics. Equally, one could point to the epidemic of suicides and opioids but again, one could frame doubts. Anyone know other arguments.