People in cities have a need to distance themselves. It's not a village where you can know everyone. We have a strong innate need to limit our social circles.

People in cities have a need to distance themselves. It's not a village where you can know everyone. We have a strong innate need to limit our social circles. Before the walkman there was the newspaper as a tool for isolation. Besides, who says it is desirable that a stranger can strike up a conversation with me at any time? The people that want this are overhelmingly living in villages anyway where they can do their thing.