5 ms·
loneliness is a much bigger problem for older people. why not start there?
by cybersnowflake 7y ago
loneliness is a much bigger problem for older people. why not start there?
- Fredej 7y agoThere are other organizations tackling that issue. People doing something to benefit others should not be looked down on just because they could spend their time tackling another problem.
- zwaps 7y agoThe article states it is a large problem for young people. How do you know it is a bigger problem for old people?
- AstralStorm 7y agoIt is one of those problems which has a tendency to cumulate. Fewer friends you have earlier, fewer you have later in life still. Well connected people tend to stay that way.
- cybersnowflake 7y agocommon sense and observation, its relatively easier for a person overall to make connections during schooling years. Once people pair up and disperse into the workplace and especially after they start up families it becomes much more difficult for the odd man out.
- gpvos 7y agoAll the better to try to tackle the problem early on.
- Copenjin 7y agoI find the fact that you got downvoted and the subdued scorn of some of the replies you got quite "amusing".
- kjaftaedi 7y agoGatekeeping loneliness is hardly constructive. Suggesting people start by solving larger problems before smaller ones is equally not constructive. Why focus on loneliness at all when you can tackle climate change instead?
- Copenjin 7y agoYour idea of constructive leaves a bit to be desired.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- zrobotics 7y agoHow is it not constructive to point out that the original comment is simply whataboutism? Just because another problem exists doesn't mean it is pointless to work on a related problem. Otherwise, one could easily make the point that climate change is a bigger problem than social isolation for older people, so any group attempting to alleviate that problem is wasting their time.
- dang 7y agoOk, but please don't post unsubstantive comments here. Also, posturing over the rest of the community isn't helpful. If you know more, share some of what you know so the rest of us can learn from you. Also, please note that the site guidelines ask: "Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- Copenjin 7y agoSorry dang, felt some annoying 20-something entitlement in those comments and the grayness that, maybe, wasn't there.
- tokai 7y agoWell you are wrong. People between 65-79 years are the least lonely cohort in Denmark. People over 85 are as lonely as the 19 to 29 year olds.[0] [0] https://www.maryfonden.dk/da/presse-ensom-befolkning https://www.maryfonden.dk/da/presse-ensom-befolkning
- pault 7y agoMaybe GP means older as middle aged. I'm 40, moved countries four times in the last ten years, and after moving back to the US three years ago I haven't made a single friend. Since I was able to make many friends elsewhere I place some of the blame on American culture, but a lot of it is simply that people over 35 are settled in their ways and don't go out much.
- cybersnowflake 7y agoI'm sure teens and twentysomethings can feel plenty lonely. But I imagine as an example a young adult girl won't have much trouble striking up a relationship with a 50-60+ man if they really wanted to. It might be awkward and they might have little in common but the younger party could have it anytime they wanted. Now reverse the situation for a 50-60 year old man seeking companionship among young adult girls and see how far you get.