4 ms·

It's an interesting point and actually feeds back into the America's Most Wanted issues. As America has gotten more focused on cars for the majority of transpo

by munk-a 4y ago

It's an interesting point and actually feeds back into the America's Most Wanted issues. As America has gotten more focused on cars for the majority of transportation the neighborhood has broken down, people who never walk in their community never meet their neighbors and it's much easier to cultivate fear about neighbors you've never met along with being harder to trust those mystery neighbors to intervene if they see something wrong. There was a saying "It takes a village to raise a child" but in modern America each family is closer to being an island to themselves trying to raise their children - there almost certainly are a dozen or so other parents you've met at parks and other things that you trust but those parents might live quite far away from you. Living in a car oriented culture comes with serious societal issues.

tsunamifury 4y ago
Im not disagreeing about cars but i want to point out you can say the same thing about the invention of AC and the washing machine. Almost any at home technology that replaced communal work has had this affect.
- miguelazo 4y ago
  Not really seeing how they're comparable-- vastly different levels of influence in terms of promoting isolation. While true that lower levels of tech/development promote more communal labor, there's much more to social relations than that-- and modes of transportation, along with subsidizing the suburbanization of the country have a much greater impact.
  - tsunamifury 4y ago
    Im sure that sounds odd to you if you are younger but go to any small town and talk to people about how AC changed the swimming hole of the 50s or the washing machine changed the way housewives socialized. The car reformed neighborhoods and commerce for sure, but so did several other private in home technologies. I mean the television fundamentally changed child development. And before it the average person in america went to the theater 1-2 times per week. You likely just live like a fish in water with them now and never knew how it was. The car was part of a total private technology revolution that fundamentally reduced socialization for work and play.
boilerupnc 4y ago
Interestingly, the pandemic altered this briefly in my neighborhood. Seemingly out of nowhere, for a few months in 2020 - our streets were filled regularly with walkers, dogs and children. There were new face-to-face conversations with people who had lived in the same neighborhood for over 7-10 years. There were driveway get togethers, cul-de-sac firepits and a renewed sense of community that went deeper than asking for a contractor recommendation or a cup of sugar. While the pandemic was horrible in numerous ways, this was one side-effect that was truly positive for my small piece of the world and has resulted in stronger, new friendships that I hope to continue. In retrospect, could we have done this through social events or aggressive reach-outs - sure. But the apathy and distraction provided by using a car to go somewhere was a constant saboteur.

by munk-a 4y ago

tsunamifury 4y ago

Im not disagreeing about cars but i want to point out you can say the same thing about the invention of AC and the washing machine. Almost any at home technology that replaced communal work has had this affect.

miguelazo 4y ago
Not really seeing how they're comparable-- vastly different levels of influence in terms of promoting isolation. While true that lower levels of tech/development promote more communal labor, there's much more to social relations than that-- and modes of transportation, along with subsidizing the suburbanization of the country have a much greater impact.
- tsunamifury 4y ago
  Im sure that sounds odd to you if you are younger but go to any small town and talk to people about how AC changed the swimming hole of the 50s or the washing machine changed the way housewives socialized. The car reformed neighborhoods and commerce for sure, but so did several other private in home technologies. I mean the television fundamentally changed child development. And before it the average person in america went to the theater 1-2 times per week. You likely just live like a fish in water with them now and never knew how it was. The car was part of a total private technology revolution that fundamentally reduced socialization for work and play.

boilerupnc 4y ago

Interestingly, the pandemic altered this briefly in my neighborhood. Seemingly out of nowhere, for a few months in 2020 - our streets were filled regularly with walkers, dogs and children. There were new face-to-face conversations with people who had lived in the same neighborhood for over 7-10 years. There were driveway get togethers, cul-de-sac firepits and a renewed sense of community that went deeper than asking for a contractor recommendation or a cup of sugar. While the pandemic was horrible in numerous ways, this was one side-effect that was truly positive for my small piece of the world and has resulted in stronger, new friendships that I hope to continue. In retrospect, could we have done this through social events or aggressive reach-outs - sure. But the apathy and distraction provided by using a car to go somewhere was a constant saboteur.