I like this reply and agree with most of what is written. > So when we go back in time in most places, we might not see that much cross-settlement travel, but

I like this reply and agree with most of what is written. > So when we go back in time in most places, we might not see that much cross-settlement travel, but how dense are the settlements? Depending on when and where sometimes not very dense at all. > How much can you avoid other human beings? You don't need to avoid anyone but going days and weeks without speaking to people was not so inconceivable as it is now. > If anything, it's the modern American suburb, where in practice we don't need to exchange a word with the neighbors, and most retail transactions are impersonal, is what happens to be historically novel. That's the slightly different lament of not knowing your neighbors. The loss of togetherness and sense of community. The bad vibes. I agree with all that, you can feel more alone surrounded by an ocean of people than being part of a small tight knit group of people surrounded by an ocean. Conversely, mental health problems have been on the rise for a long time prior to the pandemic. No doubt it brought these issues to the forefront and didn't help things. All I pointed out is that there is no shortage of precedent or examples of isolation and it does not necessarily imply that your mental health has to deteriorate. Forced isolation or alienation from neighbors on the other hand is far more likely to be harmful. So is substituting actual social relationships with parasocial interactions online and apps.