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Why do we need children to go back to schools? Adults need to socialization spaces too. WFH..it seems like..by my observations..has lead to increasingly isolati

Why do we need children to go back to schools? Adults need to socialization spaces too. WFH..it seems like..by my observations..has lead to increasingly isolationist tendencies. In the long run, WFH will lead to mental health issues. Humans are social animals. The solution is flexible working hours and less number of working hours/week across the board. The 40 hrs/week is nonsense. We are faster and more efficient now in every kind of work we do. From my limited gleaning of WFH experiences from others in different countries, I think only Americans seem to welcome it most. Perhaps this has something to do with the unsustainable painful commutes in American cities that relies on a fast moving box running on expensive fuel. Not wanting to interact with others on a regular basis and in person is an anti social trait. We seem to on our way to normalize it just like we have normalised toxic/unsustainable work culture in America.

slategruen 4y ago
A lot of people here really seem like isolationists
- listless 4y ago
  This is the isolationist crowd if there ever was one. The number of introverts in tech and software engineering is skewing this particular conversation. I’ve worked from home for the last 11 years. And if I didn’t travel once a month, I would lose my mind. The pandemic was the most miserable 2 years of my life.
  - jelliclesfarm 4y ago
    I think the HN demographic is mostly male. Women and working mothers may have a different take on the WFH enthusiasm wave.
lm28469 4y ago
> WFH..it seems like..by my observations..has lead to increasingly isolationist tendencies. I've never met my friends more than during covid. WFH means we could meet before work to go to the gym together, meet in the evening in a local bar/park. Ditching commute saves me at least an hour a day in term of prep/travel time. The need for a work/life separation meant that when I was done I didn't want to stay home but preferred to go outside to do more social stuff. Now I have to go back to the office once per week, I just sit there with 5 other dudes, typing on our keyboards, nobody talks besides the occasional awkward "weather chat". After the day I'm somehow exhausted and only want to go home and do nothing instead of going out and meeting people
r00t4ccess 4y ago
The problem with this notion is the idea that I want to socialize with people I work with, when you hang out with co-workers all you do is talk about work. I want to go to work get what I need to get done, stop working, then go off and do social things I want to do. Work is merely a means of cash flowing those things.
gedy 4y ago
I think you are commenting more that there's little home life with family, friends, and neighbors left. That's largely due to everyone working all the time tbh.
- jelliclesfarm 4y ago
  I don’t disageee. I don’t see much value in 100% on-site work, but at the same time..100% WFH is not viable or feasible and employers would never and can never agree to giving the employees that kind of bargaining power. It is also an ‘American solution’ to an ‘American problem’ that is mostly a fantasy. It may work for a handful of tech industry trailblazers. But it is interesting to note that the segment of WFH supporting population are largely from the same family of employees that were coddled by the likes of Google and Facebook who infantalised their employees in the name of work perks to make their workplace ‘fun’. They just overworked the kids. It backfired. It became a golden cage. My point..I guess..is that neither extreme will work. Flexible models gives both employees and employers negotiating and bargaining power. There has to be some ‘give and play’ for both sides. There must be a middle ground somewhere. Hybrid/flexible is the only fair and rational solution. I would propose 20 flexible hour work weeks with maybe half of those hours on demand onsite work depending on the kind of work.

slategruen 4y ago

A lot of people here really seem like isolationists

listless 4y ago
This is the isolationist crowd if there ever was one. The number of introverts in tech and software engineering is skewing this particular conversation. I’ve worked from home for the last 11 years. And if I didn’t travel once a month, I would lose my mind. The pandemic was the most miserable 2 years of my life.
- jelliclesfarm 4y ago
  I think the HN demographic is mostly male. Women and working mothers may have a different take on the WFH enthusiasm wave.

lm28469 4y ago

> WFH..it seems like..by my observations..has lead to increasingly isolationist tendencies. I've never met my friends more than during covid. WFH means we could meet before work to go to the gym together, meet in the evening in a local bar/park. Ditching commute saves me at least an hour a day in term of prep/travel time. The need for a work/life separation meant that when I was done I didn't want to stay home but preferred to go outside to do more social stuff. Now I have to go back to the office once per week, I just sit there with 5 other dudes, typing on our keyboards, nobody talks besides the occasional awkward "weather chat". After the day I'm somehow exhausted and only want to go home and do nothing instead of going out and meeting people

r00t4ccess 4y ago

The problem with this notion is the idea that I want to socialize with people I work with, when you hang out with co-workers all you do is talk about work. I want to go to work get what I need to get done, stop working, then go off and do social things I want to do. Work is merely a means of cash flowing those things.

gedy 4y ago

I think you are commenting more that there's little home life with family, friends, and neighbors left. That's largely due to everyone working all the time tbh.

jelliclesfarm 4y ago
I don’t disageee. I don’t see much value in 100% on-site work, but at the same time..100% WFH is not viable or feasible and employers would never and can never agree to giving the employees that kind of bargaining power. It is also an ‘American solution’ to an ‘American problem’ that is mostly a fantasy. It may work for a handful of tech industry trailblazers. But it is interesting to note that the segment of WFH supporting population are largely from the same family of employees that were coddled by the likes of Google and Facebook who infantalised their employees in the name of work perks to make their workplace ‘fun’. They just overworked the kids. It backfired. It became a golden cage. My point..I guess..is that neither extreme will work. Flexible models gives both employees and employers negotiating and bargaining power. There has to be some ‘give and play’ for both sides. There must be a middle ground somewhere. Hybrid/flexible is the only fair and rational solution. I would propose 20 flexible hour work weeks with maybe half of those hours on demand onsite work depending on the kind of work.