Epidemic loneliness at college?

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A third of students spend less than six hours a week with friends? So 50 minutes or less per day? I can’t even fathom how this is possible. I wasn’t a role model for studiessness but I bet I spent six hours a day with friends my first year.

“Time management” has become the siren call.

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There were kids at my son’s school who just never found their place, who were very lonely. Some left because of it.

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This is, in fact, my biggest worry for my kid and has factored into my thinking about “fit” pretty dramatically.

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It helps if they have a strong interest that they can join a club for, or if they’re on a sports team, or if they like the religious organization at their school.

No doubt! She’s never been much of a “joiner” in things, so some of it has to fall to her choices. But I’m certainly helping her highlight the spaces where it’s possible. For example, she likes having a part-time job, so suggesting she find one on campus with other students.

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Americans have always had a difficult relationship with “down time”, but it seems to be getting worse. I notice the difference whenever I see instances of jobs where there’s a constant flow of small tasks, interrupted by enough space to crack a joke and complain about your life. I’m thinking of those small mom and pop coffee shops that only stay open for breakfast and lunch, where the camaraderie among the staff - who appear to be in their tweens - seems very high. Such spaces used to be ubiquitous.

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Is it “time management” or is it addiction to social media and electronic devices ?

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I’m going to assume that indulging in addictive behavior is an example of poor time management, perhaps in the extreme. Is social media the new pot?

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I know that high schools that have banned cell phones notice improved student interactions.

Watch Star Trek Next Generation season 5 eps. 6. “The Game”.
It aired in 1991 and makes more sense today than it did then.

It was about the addictiveness of a seemingly harmless holodec type game that affected the crew’s work. Very predictive.

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