When did The Great Resignation start? It did not begin with the pandemic. The Great Resignation has been in the news. It has been a topic people have been talking about since 2020 as employees left their jobs. Employees were leaving their jobs for many different reasons, wanting to learn new skills, work online, or they may have been retiring. This article will go into the causes of The Great Resignation and when it began. Here are thirty reasons for The Great Resignation.
30 Reasons For The Great Resignation
What Is The Great Resignation?
The Great Resignation, also called The Great Quit or The Great Reshuffle, is an ongoing economic trend in which employees decided to leave their jobs en masse starting in 2020.
The Great Resignation is still in the process and will most likely continue despite some mainstream outlets saying that it may be ending due to the pandemic coming to an end. It will probably not end soon as more businesses and people move from working in-person to online.
How Did The Great Resignation Start?
The Great Resignation began long before the pandemic. How so? Everything was already moving online from the Dot Com boom in the early 2000s. During the 2010s, people found they were able to start their website, blog, or discover that they could work online. The Internet has created digital nomads, online businesses, remote work for companies, and freelancing.
The Internet has allowed people to find creative ways to discover their passion, make money, and grow an audience. A person only needs a website. An email list. A YouTube Channel. Then a person can find creative ways to monetize those different online platforms. These platforms and new opportunities that Millennials and Generation Z have embraced have accelerated the transition from working a traditional job to working online, whether owning an online business or freelancing. In short, The Great Resignation did not begin with the Covid Pandemic.
Covid
The first reason is the Covid Pandemic. The pandemic is the main reason people may think of as the cause of The Great Resignation. However, as shown above, it began earlier with the Internet.
The pandemic only accelerated businesses to embrace moving online. It also drove small companies to find new creative ways to make money, often at a lower cost than a traditional brick-and-mortar business. It has also allowed people to find new opportunities and earn income outside of a regular job.
Government Mandates
The second reason is the government’s response to the pandemic. Covid, or the pandemic, did not mandate you to wear a mask, social distance, or get a shot to keep your job. The government and the health bureaucrats did that, not Covid. The government made the mandates. After a couple of weeks, if not sooner, some people got sick of these requirements and orders.
Businesses Making Employees Do Things To Keep Their Jobs
The third reason is that huge businesses enforced the government mandates by making employees wear face masks to get the Covid vaccine to keep their job. These employees got tired of their careers making them wear face masks, interacting with paranoid customers, and later their employer requiring them to get a Covid vaccine. These employees decided to resign or quit and find another alternative. These employees may have found a business that did not enforce the mandates or found an online solution, such as becoming a freelancer, or content creator, or finding a way to do an online business.
The Great Retirement
The fourth reason is retirement. The Great Resignation is also called The Great Retirement. Baby Boomers are finally starting to retire. For Baby Boomers who are beginning to retire or planning to retire, The Great Resignation can be called The Great Retirement.
Some of the reasons for The Great Retirement are that Baby Boomers who were preparing to retire could spend more time with their families. They saw that the stock market was going up. They believe that they are ready for retirement. They put in their time over the years at work. They have put money into their 401ks and pensions. They have money in the stock market. They have in real estate for their retirement.
Discovering College Degrees Did Not Help Their Career
The fifth reason is that younger people discover their college degree did not help them get a career. Millennials are the most educated generation, yet many find that they have trouble finding jobs that will turn into careers. Since more people have college degrees today, Millennials later went to graduate school or got a doctorate, thinking it would help their career. When they got out of higher education, they discovered that employers were not open to bringing on people with fancy degrees who had no work experience.
Relocation
The sixth reason is relocation. The people who could afford to move from the big cities moved out of the cities due to the pandemic. They wanted to leave the crowded cities somewhere with more space and fewer people. The people with the means to either move out of the town or stay in the same area. Or, people moved to another state which often did not have the restrictions that were being done in essentially big cities. These people either found a new job in another state or could work remotely with the company as more businesses began to transition to online work during 2020.
According to realtors, people were moving to other states. One realtor I follow on YouTube said that he was able to track where people were moving to gauge the real estate market using Uhaul moving data. In this article by Uhaul, you can see the top fifty states that people were moving to during the 2020 migration. In the video below, The Money GPS goes over the mass exodus from the big cities and shows where people are moving when they decide to leave a city.
Remote Work
The seventh reason is that more businesses are moving to remote work. Due to the pandemic, medium to large companies transitioned from in-person to remote positions. While this trend began earlier in the 2010s with websites like Upwork and Fiverr and people finding different ways to monetize websites, it did not go mainstream until 2020.
Now remote work is becoming a real option for people working from home rather than in the office while still working with a company. You can now search for remote work on job sites like Indeed, and various positions will come up. The majority of remote work positions are often related to technology, digital marketing, content creation, and video editing.
Freelancing
The eighth reason is that more people are becoming freelancers. In the 2010s, people could become freelancers and work from home. Freelancing offers people another alternative for working flexible jobs or making a career as a freelancer within their specialty. There is a range of different jobs that people can do as freelancers. The most popular freelancer jobs are writing blog posts, video editing, digital marketing, and virtual assistants. Of course, there are more jobs than those you can find on a freelancing website like Upwork.
A freelancer is a contractor compared to a traditional part-time or full-time employee. This has changed how people view the employer-employee relationship. As a contractor, an individual has more flexibility but will often not receive the traditional benefits of working at an established company. A freelancer will usually perform one or more jobs within their specialty unless they can find a full-time freelancing job on a freelancing website. Freelancing is different from remote work, where an employee will work remotely for an established company.
According to Flexiple, freelancing is a project to become the majority of the workforce by 2027. Two of the most popular freelancing website are Fiverr and Upwork. There are others as well. Freelancing websites will continue to grow as it is projected to grow and more people become aware of remote work and freelancing.
Reconsideration
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”The pandemic, and the government’s response to the pandemic, forced many people to reconsider their life.” via=”no”]
The ninth reason is reconsideration. As a result of people being forced with lockdowns at the start of 2020, people began to reconsider what they were doing with their life. This led people to reconsider what they had been told. People also began to review what they wanted to do with their lives and find other work solutions outside the traditional workforce. Some people spent that time watching Netflix and YouTube, while others used that time to learn more about themselves and to discover new ways to make money.
Learning New Skills
The tenth reason is that people began to learn new skills during lockdowns. During that time, people noticed that everything was going online and digital. These people recognized this shift and had to work to learn new skills to adapt to the changing economy. They may have discovered a new talent by watching YouTube videos on a topic, taking an online course, buying a digital system on a topic or a skill, or reading articles online on a skill they wanted to learn. As they learned new skills to prepare for the changing economy or hone their skills, they worked to become more competitive with employers. Some may have used this time to learn new skills to improve, grow their business, or move online.
Changing Careers Or Jobs
As people learned new skills, they were prepared to change careers due to the pandemic. They were working to improve their skills to work on their own. They began to focus on learning skills that could be done online or in-demand skills for the digital economy. These skills include e-commerce, content creation, digital marketing, keyword research, and search engine optimization.
The Great Reshuffling
The Great Resignation has resulted in The Great Reshuffling. It is called significant reshuffling. This is because people are moving states, transitioning jobs, or making career changes during the time of uncertainty that came with the pandemic. The tension and sudden changes that came because of the government mandates changed people’s behavior. People started to find different ways to make an income, move to another state, and even move to another country if they could be digital nomads.
Reluctance
Another reason is the reluctance of employers or employees to want to go back to work in person. Businesses may have concerns that if they do not enforce the mandates, they could get fined, which would affect a business’s bottom line. Employees were reluctant to return to work because they did not want to go along with the work requirements required by the government mandates that companies were enforcing on their employees and, to a certain degree, on customers. This reluctance made these employees search for alternative ways to make money, so they resigned. The employees who left may have become a freelancer, content creators, or agreed to work to start their own online business by going into business for themselves.
Gig Jobs
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”A remote worker, freelancer, or someone who owns an online business can work anywhere around the world as a digital nomad.” via=”no”]
The fourteenth reason is that the gig economy has created many different gig jobs. Gig jobs are the new entry-level service jobs. It is not uncommon for people, especially Millennials, to work multiple gig jobs if they can’t get a regular full-time job. They could work random gig jobs online as freelancers, test new products, resell things online with drop shipping, or find random jobs online. They could also drive with Uber, deliver food with Grub hub or Uber Eats, or deliver groceries with Instacart. All these types of gig jobs exploded during the pandemic in 2020.
Related Article: Life As A Single Woman Uber Driver [The Gig Economy Experience]
Digital Nomads
The Internet has created digital nomads. Digital nomads are people who make money online, which gives them the flexibility to work anywhere in the world. A digital nomad may be a remote worker, a freelancer, a content creator, or own an online business. Working online allows people who want to travel, see the world, work on the beach, or live in a country with a lower cost of living than a country like the United States.
Online Businesses
Those who were more entrepreneurial may have decided to start their own online business instead of continuing to be an employee and working for someone else. These people chose to spend their time learning how to set up an online business. This is easier today and costs less than starting a traditional brick-and-mortar business. It can be done for only a few grand or less if correctly.
An online business only needs a website, an email list, a YouTube Channel, later can add social media, and finally, needs to sell a product or a service. An online business can also create passive income from affiliate programs, advertising, and people buying digital products or services that only need to be made once. An online company can then hire freelancers to do a job as often as needed or keep them on for as many hours as required to do their job.
Solo Entrepreneurship
Since online businesses are leaner, they do not need the overhead of many employees. This has given rise to solo entrepreneurship. Online companies require less overhead and upfront costs than traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. For this reason, they are lean and don’t need full-time employees. A person can start an online business independently and work to grow it by adding freelancers as the business grows.
Becoming Content Creators
Another option was for people to become content creators. The most popular type of content creator is a YouTuber for Millennials. The most popular type of content creator is a TikToker for Generation Z. Being a content creator and becoming influencer on these platforms. Content creators can make money from advertising, then find ways to build an online business within their niche. They also can create content from anywhere, depending on the type of content a creator makes.
Physical Economy
While the physical economy of brick-and-mortar stores will never entirely go away, more businesses are moving to e-commerce, online business, or finding a way to add an online component to a physical business. Some features of the physical economy can never be replaced, like truckers, retail, grocery, delivery, or companies that need to be done in person. However, some of these jobs can be replaced by technology, further displacing workers.
With the lockdowns and incentives from the government through mandates, laws, and regulations, there is more incentive for people to move to the online digital economy. The cost of starting a business is less. You will need less overhead. You don’t need to worry about the types of insurance a physical business may need to have if an employee gets injured and wants compensation. All of your employees can be contractors. This will mean that you also won’t have to provide them with other benefits, depending on the size of your business.
Decentralization
Centralized institutions like the government, central banks, mainstream media, and the higher education system do not want decentralization because if it succeeds, these institutions are no longer needed in society. With the rise of the Internet, which is now moving to Internet 3.0, decentralization gives freedom to people. It provides more options and choices to people by finding a range of different.
Technology
Technology has played a critical role in creating more opportunities for people. Technology has given rise to digital nomads, remote work, freelancing, and online businesses. It has also played a vital role in moving toward decentralization. Technology has also given decentralized currencies like cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin being the most well-known, an alternative to the fiat currencies that central banks print and governments force their citizens to use in society. However, technology also has negative consequences that benefit businesses and affect employees.
Replacing Employees With Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is replacing jobs and will only continue to displace jobs in the future. The types of jobs that artificial intelligence will replace repetitive jobs, use patterns, are data-driven or come up with different ideas that someone may not think about. Artificial intelligence is being used more in software applications and technology that can scan a large amount of information and make recommendations. It can also automatically make changes that replace the need for a person to manually create the differences depending on the sophistication of the software or technology.
Younger people, Millennials and Generation Z are aware that jobs are being replaced by technology. There are many different jobs that artificial intelligence can replace or take away hours from workers with this technology. They are working to transition to set themselves up in a future with a job where they can’t be replaced. Software with artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to read.
Replacing Employees With Robots
Along with artificial intelligence, robots are already being rolled out in some countries replacing workers. They will likely be seen in other countries as companies replace employees with robots. The two prominent examples of robots starting to replace employees are Flippy which flips burgers, and Chipotle’s new robot named, Chippy, which makes tortilla chips. Due to the worker shortage, businesses. From a business perspective, robots replacing these jobs will save employers money because they don’t need to pay health insurance, raise wages, or worry about an employee not showing up for work. This is a real risk from an employee perspective, depending on where you work.
Everything Is Moving Online
With the rise and popularity of the Internet, everything is moving more online. Social media helped this transition as people became comfortable sharing and posting about themselves on their social media accounts. The Internet gives people the freedom and flexibility to work online or start their own online businesses.
Wage Stagnation
People, especially younger people, are tired of working dead-end jobs. Many young people, including myself, bought into the broken promise that if you go to college, you will be able to get a good job, work your way up in a company, and enjoy the American Dream of eventually owning a home. According to Don’t Quit Your Day Job in 2021, the median income for men was $51,121, while the median income for women was $39,000. According to Zillow, the average cost of a house in the US is now around $330,533 up 20% from last year. The median work income compared to the price of buying a house has priced out many people. Logically, these younger people began to look at other options or find creative ways to create extra income streams. Wages are not keeping up with the rising cost of living and inflation. Real inflation is higher than the 8% reported by the government and the Federal Reserve.
Related Article: The Myth of Toxic Masculinity in a Gynocentric Social Order
The Rising Cost Of Living
People, especially younger generations, recognize that job security is no longer a thing, and they can’t work their way up the traditional route in companies like previous generations. The cost of living only increases, and young people continue to see themselves being priced out of the housing market. With the rising cost of gas and food, even more of the money young people make must go to necessities rather than trying to save, invest, and work to buy a house of their own. According to Zillow, the average price of a home in the United States is now $337,560. Rent also continues to go up as well across the US. The cost of gas continues to rise too, so if you have to drive to work, that is cutting into what you make as you go to and from work.
The average cost of energy went up an additional $1,000 in 2021 for American households. Americans continue to go into credit card debt, and that trend only grew in 2021. According to Study Finds, nearly 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They struggle to make ends meet in their lives. The rising cost of living is only making it more difficult for Americans who live paycheck to paycheck. Combine already working Americans living paycheck to paycheck with rising costs due to inflation, and things are not looking good. The middle class is being systematically destroyed. The Federal Reserve and government policies are destroying the middle class.
Broken Social Contract
The social contract is a theory in political philosophy that there is a contract between individuals and their government. It has also been applied to individuals and society. The social contract theory has also been applied to the employer and employee relationship in the workplace. All three of these are breaking or have been broken if you go along with the social contract theory.
The government has not protected the rights of its citizens. It has infringed and taken away their rights. This is particularly evident with the pandemic and goes back even further with the agencies created after 9/11, further restricting people from traveling.
The social contract has been broken between individuals and society by the various institutions no longer doing their jobs. The mainstream media is the most prominent example of this, both on the left with CNN and on the right with Fox News. They are not the Fourth Estate as people are told that they are to keep politicians and the government in check. The mainstream media is propaganda, and more people are going to alternative, independent news sources online.
The social contract has been broken between employers and employees. In the West, especially in the United States, the average worker’s wage cannot keep up with inflation. More employers are moving from part-time or full-time employees who traditionally provided benefits to contractors, such as freelancers, because they can be paid less and don’t need to provide them with benefits. Employees are looking for new ways to make money to make ends meet and move up the social ladder.
A vital question must first be asked about the social contract. Do you remember signing it? If so, when and where? What exactly did you agree to? What were the terms and conditions?
Job Security Is A Thing Of The Past
Job security is now a thing of the past. Employees can no longer expect to receive the benefits, 401K, and pensions that traditionally came with a full-time job from an employer. People are starting to recognize that job security is no longer the case. They are working to find other ways to make money and an income outside of the traditional workforce. Freelancing, becoming a content creator, and starting an online business are three options for those who recognize that job security is now a broken social contract.
Work To Make Multiple Streams Of Income
While job security is now a thing of the past, the Internet and online businesses allow people to create multiple income streams. The Internet provides many different ways to do that. People can start a website and get revenue from advertising, affiliate programs, selling digital courses and products, and being a coach or consultants. A YouTube Channel is another way to reach people and make money from ads while reaching an audience to sell the products or services within your niche and sub-niche. It is also easier to write a book to self-publish today so that you don’t have to deal with a publishing house to keep more of the money from your book. There are many other options, from drop shipping to selling products on Etsy. It requires more creativity, thinking outside of the box, and knowing that there are options outside of a regular job.
The American Dream Is Dead
In brief, the American Dream is dead unless you can find ways to make it in the Age of the Internet. Entry-level jobs like fast food, retail, and even some tech jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence and robots. The rise of inflation and the rising cost of real estate makes it difficult, if not impossible, for regular people to buy a house.
Conclusion
There are many reasons for The Great Resignation, The Big Quit, The Great Reshuffle, or The Great Retirement. No matter what you may call it, these are only thirty reasons for The Great Resignation. You may be able to think of other reasons that are causing people to leave the traditional workforce.
What do you think about The Great Resignation? Are you taking part in it? Do you believe that there is a social contract? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The loneliness epidemic is a growing problem. Over the last five decades, two significant changes have contributed to the loneliness epidemic. They are atomization and social media. You can experience loneliness whether you are single or married. Here is a look at the loneliness epidemic and how atomization and social media increases social isolation today.
The Loneliness Epidemic and Social Media Paradox
Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness is the cause of the loneliness epidemic. Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Loneliness is distress or discomfort resulting from a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences. Loneliness is isolation when you have no friends or a community, creating a feeling of sadness.
However, it is vital to point out that you can live alone without feeling lonely. There is a difference between solitude and loneliness. More people are experiencing the feelings associated with loneliness and experiencing a gap between what they currently have and what they want in their social life. A large amount of people experiencing loneliness creates the loneliness epidemic.
There are two critical reasons for the rise in loneliness today. The atomization of people has led to increased social isolation and loneliness. Those are two recent essential components of society that have led to people becoming more isolated and less involved in their communities. People rarely know their neighbors today compared to previous generations. Social media has helped drive the loneliness epidemic as people spend more time on their screens than interacting with people in real life. There are also health consequences that come from loneliness. The other reason is the atomization of people, resulting in people becoming more divided today.
Short-Term Loneliness and Chronic Loneliness
There are also different types of loneliness. The first type is short-term loneliness. Short-term loneliness is a brief period of experiencing loneliness. You may experience short-term loneliness when you move because you don’t know anyone in the town or city where you now live.
The second type of loneliness is chronic loneliness or long-term loneliness. Chronic loneliness occurs when you have feelings of loneliness and social isolation for a long time. Chronic loneliness is a constant and unrelenting sense of being alone, separated, or divided from other people in your life. Long-term loneliness cannot connect more deeply with others in your life. Chronic loneliness can also include having deeply rooted feelings of inadequacy, poor self-esteem, and self-loathing for yourself. Whether it is short-term or chronic loneliness that you may experience, health issues come with loneliness.
Social Isolation and Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic has worsened due to the increased social isolation and loneliness that people now experience. Social isolation also means not having enough people to interact with regularly. It does not matter the amount of social contact you may have in your life, but you can still experience loneliness. Social isolation is when people do not interact with others. As a result of atomization, people have become more socially isolated. Social isolation connects to loneliness, and social isolation leads to mass formation psychosis.
Social isolation and loneliness are problems because people are naturally social creatures. You can improve your mental and physical health by being social and active with your friends, family, or community. As people have become more atomized, social isolation and loneliness have continued to grow.
Since more people have become more disconnected over the last three years due to the pandemic, social isolation and loneliness have risen, affecting young adults. Men often struggle more with isolation and loneliness than women. That is because men are less social compared to women.
Social isolation and loneliness are problems because people are naturally social creatures. You can improve your mental and physical health by being social and active with your friends, family, or community. As people have become more atomized, social isolation and loneliness have continued to grow.
Atomization of People
People are lonelier today. The loneliness epidemic is a result of people spending more time alone. The fragmenting of society has happened over time. People have become more atomized today. Atomization goes back to the mid-1970s when businesses started selling goods and services abroad. Social atomization has happened because society has become more fragmented today. Atomization is the “process by which larger units—compounds or cultures, molecules, or families—are broken down into their subcomponents, their individuality gaining clarity as their relationships disintegrate.” The atomization of society has happened as modern society has become more divided, and politics has become a part of everything. The atomization of society leads to otherizing people who don’t politically agree with you while people remain in their bubbles.
There are several reasons for the atomization of people today. Politics has become more divisive than ever before in history. A recent poll found that Americans have more political division than ever. The second reason is more people are living alone today. They often will not get to know their neighbors since people are working more or busy spending their time making enough to cover living costs. The third reason is people spend more time online, on social media, or on their mobile devices rather than getting to know people in real life. The fourth reason is that more people are working online rather than going into the office to get social interaction with co-workers and colleagues. The fifth reason is that people are spending less time in their communities. When people spend less time in their community, they spend more time alone without interacting with other people.
The political division continues to divide people into groups. The division from identity politics further leads to the atomization of people. Social media also helps people give people content that feeds their personal or political biases. Social media creates an infinite loop where people don’t escape their atomic bubble. It becomes more irrational in a society where people cannot interact with others who do not fit their personal, social, or political atomic bubbles. People can no longer have a rational conversation or debate with someone who disagrees with them on an issue. The atomization of individuals in society is the logical result of people being unable to leave their bubbles.
As people remain in ideological bubbles, atomization leads to social isolation and loneliness. People are interacting less with people in person today. Finding community today has become challenging because everything is political, and people remain in their atomic bubbles. People also spend more time online interacting with people in their virtual atomic bubbles. Those atomic bubbles have created the social media paradox.
Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Health
Loneliness negatively affects people’s health. Loneliness harms health as much as obesity or smoking and affects mental health. Some mental health issues that can come from loneliness are depression and anxiety.
The CDC has found adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness on personal health. The National Academy of Sciences found loneliness and social isolation risks in studies. According to the CDC and National Academy of Sciences, health risks from social isolation and loneliness include the following:
• Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. This risk may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
• Loneliness was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly four times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.
Social media also affects personal health, from mental to physical health. The social media paradox is another piece of the loneliness epidemic puzzle.
The Social Media Paradox
The Social Media Paradox is that while people have become more connected than ever before, people have become lonelier. Social media is popular for psychologists to blame for the rise in isolation and atomization of people. People now spend more time online or on their phones than interacting with others in the real world. People spend more time on their phones, which has led to more isolation and loneliness.
Lance Morrow writes in (“An Age of Violated Boundaries“) that “Electronic communication is now replacing human communication.” That certainly seems to be the case. According to a 2019 Digital Report from Hootsuite and We Are Social, people now spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes online daily. People now spend half of that nearly seven hours on mobile phones. That means that people spend close to seven hours of their day on the Internet. People spend more of their time online virtually than interacting with people in real life. There is also an adverse health effect that has come from social media.
Social media platforms are addictive. Social media addiction can cause “anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.” It has been found that “excessive social media use can result in fatigue which is linked to high anxiety and depression among adolescents.” Social media can cause mental health to decline by increasing anxiety, depression, fatigue, and physical ailments. Social media can also negatively affect sleep.
The most significant way social media can negatively affect mental health is sleep. It has been found that there is a link between social media use and less sleep. It is vital to get quality sleep and sleep for enough hours each night for personal health. When you don’t get enough sleep, or you have poor quality sleep, it can cause several health conditions:
• Weight gain and obesity
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Increased inflammation
• Reduced mood
• Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety
• Diabetes
• Reduced cognition and brain health
• Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease
• Heart disease and stroke
• Chronic pain and arthritis
• ADHD
People often sleep with their phones by their bed today, and this causes people to have poorer sleep quality each night. By having their phone by the bed, they will check it if they wake up rather than going back to sleep. In an ironic twist, the social media platforms and apps we use daily make us lonelier and negatively affect our mental and physical health. At the same time, social media can cause mental health and other problems, and loneliness can also cause mental health problems.
Solutions for the Loneliness Epidemic and the Social Media Paradox
There are eight ways for the loneliness epidemic and the social media paradox. The first way is to spend less time on or eliminate social media. The second solution is spending more time with friends, family, and community members. The third step is to find a hobby or something that you are passionate about and find other people interested in that same thing. Meetup is a great place to meet people around an interest or a hobby. The fourth way is to stay busy. The fifth solution is to exercise. The seventh step is to sleep without your phone near you to get a good night’s rest. The eighth solution is to make personal time for yourself. These eight steps will require you to act in your life to break free from social media and your smartphone. You will feel better once you have done it because people are naturally social animals.
Conclusion
Two primary reasons for the loneliness epidemic are the atomization of people and people spending more time on social media. If you feel lonely, the simple solution is to meet with people again and be involved with your community.
What do you think of the loneliness epidemic? Have you experienced social isolation or loneliness? What do you think about the atomization of people over the decades? What are your thoughts on the social media paradox?
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Lockdowns have unintended consequences. Loneliness has risen from worldwide lockdowns. Lockdown loneliness has resulted in psychological and mental health problems for people around the globe. Lockdown loneliness is a problem that needs a solution during the Covid pandemic.
Lockdown Loneliness During Covid
The dangers of loneliness can cause depression, alcoholism, suicide, and mental health issues. Lockdown loneliness has resulted in a rise in alcoholism, mental health, and domestic abuse from the lockdowns. There was already a loneliness epidemic, but the lockdowns have only increased the problems connected to loneliness. It is harder for people to have social interactions with friends and family.
Depression
Depression symptoms have seen a three-fold increase from lockdown loneliness. These symptoms have risen from the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma from the lockdowns. Unemployment reached a record high of 14.7%, or 23.1 million, in April. It found that unemployment, or underemployment, causes depression. One of the consequences of the forced lockdowns have been rising unemployment numbers and depression.
Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic was already a problem before Covid. Intense loneliness has spiked with the lockdowns from social isolation. Loneliness affects health, particularly mental health. When you feel lonely, you may find ways to cope with loneliness. There are healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms. If loneliness is not dealt with, it can lead to depression, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicide. Lockdown loneliness is a problem during Covid.
Substance Abuse
As people experience lockdown loneliness and become depressed, alcoholism and drug use rise during Covid lockdowns. Alcohol and drugs are coping mechanisms when people are lonely, isolated, and unable to interact with others due to lockdown restrictions socially. An unintended consequence from the lockdowns could be the rise in substance use disorders as people turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism during the pandemic. Substance abuse places further stress on the healthcare system. The current pressure from Covid and the pressure will remain after the Covid pandemic ends.
Self-Harm
Self-harm has risen during Covid-19. Self-harm is when you hurt yourself on purpose. There has been a surge in self-harm during the pandemic due to unemployment, mental illness, and human social interaction loss. As Covid displaces more people, self-harm is a significant issue that has far-reaching consequences. Thoughts of self-harm can come when you feel helpless and lonely.
Suicide
Mental health experts warned about a rise in suicide from the lockdowns. Suicidal thoughts have increased, especially in young adults during the lockdowns. In October in Japan, data showed that more died from suicide than from Covid-19. As people are unemployed and use unhealthy coping mechanisms, self-harm and suicidal thoughts rise. The CDC has reported a doubling in the risk of suicidal ideation by people. Robert Redfield, the CDC director, said, “We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID.” Lockdown loneliness has led to a rise in suicide.
Lockdown Loneliness During Covid Solutions
There are ways that you can deal with the lockdown loneliness during Covid. You can practice self-care. You can find a community online so that you have people to interact with during the pandemic. Suppose your loneliness is severe and you are self-harming yourself. You can find a psychiatrist or psychologist to help you during this time. Contact the suicide helpline if you have had suicidal thoughts or have considered suicide. Know that you will make it through this and that there are resources that can help you.
Conclusion
Lockdown loneliness during Covid is real, and the consequences are depression, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicide. These are health repercussions that have come from the Covid-19 pandemic. Social interaction is vital to personal health, but that has become difficult from the lockdown orders as people have been spending more time at home.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many advantages to being single and not having a family. There are different reasons why people are single. Some singles may eventually want to marry. But why are Millennials not marrying? Millennials are remaining single longer and are not marrying for a variety of reasons. These are ten reasons why Millennials are not marrying and are staying single.
Coming of Age During Two Recessions
Millennials came of working age entering the workforce during the 2008 Recession. Millennials are now at what should be the height of the generation’s earning power, but that is not the case because of another recession, the Coronavirus Recession. Doug Casey, a well-known crisis investor, has called it the Greater Depression. Jobless claims are nearly 800,000. While the Coronavirus Recession is not good for anyone, Millennials are being the hardest hit. They are now being called the New Lost Generation. The combinations of these two recessions and other factors that contribute to building wealth. Millennials only own 3% of the United States’ wealth despite being a quarter of the country’s population.
Rising Cost of Education
The cost of higher education rose by 25% over the last decade. That’s a price increase of $5,000 to $10,000 for a year of tuition. Despite being the most educated generation, Millennials have had difficulty finding work, recording double-digit unemployment numbers. Millennials are often working jobs that they are overqualified for in the workforce. Millennials are the most educated generation in history.
Wage Stagnation
Millennials have borne the brunt of wage stagnation. Wages have fallen 43% for the Millennial Generation. That is a massive drop, while the cost of living continues to rise. As wages stagnate, savings rates continue to fall with low-interest rates.
Debt
The Millennial Generation is the most indebted. Millennials have credit card debt and student debt. Millennials are afraid of debt and are the wisest when it comes to planning for their financial future. The combination of credit card and student debt adds to why Millennials are staying single longer and not marrying.
Inflation
Inflation is a persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a steady decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services. Inflation has risen, making everything more expensive for Millennials who are already experiencing wage stagnation. The average real rate of inflation ranges from 7% to 13.4%, dependent upon where you live in the United States. The rising inflation means that you get less for your money.
Rising Cost of Living
Millennials have cited the rising cost of living as a barrier of entry to buying their first house. The cost of living is continuing to rise for Millennials. Prices have been rising for Millennials from groceries, rent, transportation, and clothing.
Rent
Millennials are being called the Renter Generation. Sixty percent of Millennials make the decision to rent. Millennials are renting for the long-term with nearly 70% of Millennials reporting they make less than $50,000 a year. That makes homeownership out of reach for Millennials.
Rising Cost of Houses
Homeownership is falling for Millennials. The median cost of a house in the United States is $295,300 for 2020. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, for Millennials to save to buy a home. Homeownership is a key to building wealth and financial stability. Millennials have been priced out of the housing market.
Don’t Own Wealth-Building Assets
Millennials only own 3.2% of all of the United States’ wealth. Millennials own less than 5% of all of the US wealth while Baby Boomers had 21% of the wealth in the United States at the same age. Wealth is built by owning and having assets that have been priced out of reach for Millennials.
Cost of Raising a Child
The cost of raising a child to the age of 18 is $284,570. The costs of raising a child include housing, food, childcare, education, transportation, healthcare, and clothing. That is a quarter of a million dollars. Since the cost of raising a child only goes to 18, that does cost does not include the costs and expenses with college and higher education.
Conclusion
These are ten reasons why Millennials are not marrying and are remaining single. There is nothing wrong with being single, but some singles may want to marry. Millennials should know that there is nothing wrong with being single. Society may pressure you to date and marry, but you can thrive as a single person.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The world is in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. While the focus of the pandemic is the Coronavirus, there has been a rise in loneliness. The loneliness epidemic was already on the rise before coronavirus. Loneliness is contagious. It has been found that those who are close to someone experiencing loneliness that they were 52% more likely to become lonely. Since loneliness is contagious and more people have experienced loneliness during the pandemic, it is important for you to deal with loneliness. We are in the midst of two pandemics: loneliness and coronavirus. Here are five ways that you can deal with the loneliness epidemic in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
Stay Healthy
The first way that you can deal with loneliness is to work to stay healthy. Your health is important so don’t let loneliness harm your personal health. Focus on having a healthy diet, getting exercise, and going outside. A healthy diet contributes to your well-being by providing you with the nutrition that your body needs to function. Food is what gives your body the fuel and energy that you need each day. Food and nutrition are a reflection of your health. It is important to also focus on staying fit by exercising and working out.
Community
Find groups where you live and online that you can reach out to and who can support you. It is important that you surround yourself with a like-minded community that shares your values, interests, and goals. You will find others who share things that you have in common. A community helps you during your good times and your bad times. Community rescues you from isolation, alienation, and loneliness. If you do not have a community, work to build one in real life and online because having a community is good for your well-being.
Be Busy and Productive
It is important to stay busy and to be productive. Find something that you enjoy and keep yourself busy by working on that. You can keep yourself busy by working on a project. You can work on finding ways to develop your career. It can also be something as simple as working to clean your house and kitchen. A clean house will also help with your mental health. By surrounding yourself with a clean space, it will help to increase your productivity. Organization is important because you will be more focused which will increase your productivity. Find ways to stay busy and to be productive and this will help you to be less lonely.
Mental Health
Your mental health is very important. Mental health goes along with your physical health. If you are feeling lonely, it directly affects your mental health. Common mental health problems include clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. You can improve your mental health in a number of ways. You can work to build and maintain relationships by creating a community. You can stay healthy by exercising and eating right. You can work by challenging yourself to achieve your goals. Practice mindfulness by meditating or praying which can help to decrease your stress. Sleep is also important to be mentally healthy so get enough sleep and have quality sleep. Self-care is vital and connects directly to your mental health.
Self-Care
Self-care is vital for your mental health, productivity, health, and finding the right people to become part of your community. Self-care will look different for each person. You can start to focus on self-care by focusing on your health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, and taking time for yourself. It is not selfish to take time for self-care. Self-care means you treat yourself with the same care, kindness, and respect that you give to others. Self-care is a reflection of self-love.
Conclusion
These are five ways that you can deal with loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the world. You can focus on your personal health. You can work to find and create a community both online and in real life. You can find ways to be busy and productive in the changing world. You can concentrate on your mental health. You can work to begin to create a daily self-care routine. By implementing these five steps into your life you can begin to deal with the loneliness that has risen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Loneliness is a problem that some singles experience. Loneliness is also a problem when you are isolated and have minimal to no social interaction during this time of social distancing during the quarantine. Here are four ways that singles can combat loneliness during social distancing to stay sane while in quarantine.
4 Ways Singles Can Combat Loneliness During Social Distancing
Technology
Singles can use technology to stay in touch with their friends and family. This can be done using social media, video communication applications, and finding groups online that fit your interests. Social media can be used to stay up to date with your friends and connections. You will be able to see what your friends are posting about and communicate with them to see how they are doing with the coronavirus and the lockdowns.
Join A Virtual Club or Group
Find a virtual group that shares your interests and hobbies. You can find groups on Facebook and Meetup to meet like-minded people. You can also find a range of different online support groups and hobby clubs to get interaction with people online and with video calls to get personal interaction while in quarantine. The Internet allows you to find people during this time who share mutual interests and your values so consider joining a virtual club or group to get some level of social interaction during the pandemic.
Go Outside
Don’t be afraid to go outside. Get Vitamin D. Go on a short walk or sit outside if you have a patio. Exercise and being outside is healthy. It is unhealthy to stay inside since it attributes to health issues because you need sunlight. The health benefits associated with going outside include relieving stress, strengthening immunity, increasing focus, healthier lifestyle, emotional health, psychological health, weight management, better short-term memory, improving eye vision, decreases deficit disorder, and life longevity. Despite the pandemic, don’t be afraid to go outside to get fresh air and enjoy the sun because it is healthy.
Reach Out to Others and Ask How Others are Really Doing
During this time, people are cooped up inside and are having minimal to no social interaction depending upon their situation. You should not be afraid to reach out to your friends and family to ask how they are doing. However, make a point to be direct and to get them to be honest about how they truly are
These are four simple ways that singles can combat loneliness during this time of social distancing. Make use of technology. Find groups online. Go outside and get exercise. Reach out to your friends and family during this uncertain time and know that you can defeat loneliness.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
A recent study by Cigna found that half of Americans are lonely. Cigna used the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness of 20,000 people in its survey. The problem of loneliness rose with each younger generation with the Greatest Generation having the lowest number while Generation Z had the highest number from the study. Loneliness contributes to mental and health issues. The loneliness epidemic affects those who are single, unmarried, and married. Singles can combat the loneliness epidemic by finding a balance with sleep, work, socializing with friends and family, exercise, and personal time.
5 Ways Singles Can Overcome The Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness is linked to causing health issues. Research on social isolation and loneliness affects health by increasing stress hormones and inflammation, which increases the risk of heart disease, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and suicide. It has also been found that people who are lonely drink to excess, smoke, overeat, speed, and engage in promiscuous sex. Loneliness has been connected to mental health issues such as depression, social anxiety, addiction, and hoarding. Loneliness is a health issue, but there are ways to beat loneliness. There are ways to combat loneliness and the five ways are below.
Be Social
Aristotle in the Politics said that “Man is by nature a social animal.” People need to be social to be healthy. One way singles can beat loneliness to hang out with friends and family. Singles can make a point to get together with friends or family members during the week for social interaction.
Stay Busy
Along with social interaction, singles should focus on work to stay busy. Work can take many different forms such as a job, a business, cleaning up the apartment or house, yard work, or working on a personal project.
Exercise
Exercise is beneficial as well to combat loneliness and depression because it releases endorphins into the body. It is recommended to do thirty minutes or more of exercise three to five times a week by doctors. Depending on where you exercise, you may also get social interaction while you are at the gym or running in the park.
Sleep
Quality sleep is useful to when it comes to loneliness because being able to regularly fall into a deep sleep is a sign of good health. Sleep will help you to have a better day by feeling revitalized and ready for the day. It is vital that singles have personal time because it lets you focus on what makes you happy and by spending time in solitude.
Personal Time
Personal time rests your brain, improves your concentration and creativity, encourages self-discovery, deep thinking, problem solving, and helps to improve your relationships with others. Singles can improve their mental and physical health by implementing these five steps into their daily routine to overcome loneliness.
Summary
These five practices can help singles to prevent loneliness that is now being called an epidemic. Singles can focus on improving their social lives with friends and family, sleep habits, exercise, work, and personal time to defeat loneliness. The loneliness epidemic affects all generations and all people, regardless of their relationship status. Loneliness is a health issue that does not get much attention and everyone should work to mitigate loneliness in life.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Ann Coulter sent out a Tweet the other day that succumbed to society’s stereotypes of singles being sad and lonely and couples being happy. Being single does not mean that you are unhappy and lonely. That is a myth created by society. The single shaming done by society, the media, and politics needs to stop since singles are now the majority of the American population.
Ann Coulter And The Culture Of Single Shaming
As someone with influence in society, especially in certain political circles, Ann Coulter is hurting singles. She should be helping them instead of saying that singles live “lives of quiet desperation and will die alone”. Further, as a professional single woman, Ann Coulter fails to realize the values of the single life and that singles are healthier than couples. Women are more independent than ever today. Women do not need a man to be happy. It is disheartening to see a single political celebrity take part in single shaming because Ann Coulter is not only shaming singles, but is also shaming herself.
Politics Of Being Anti-Single
The politics of both American political parties have always favored those who are married and have a family. This is because because they are an essential political base. Both the Democrat and Republican Parties have historically been anti-single. Politicians need to attract this base to to win an election. Politics has used taxes to assist those who are married and who have families since it is thought that families are a requirement for a healthy society. This belief has resulted in couples with children receiving tax deductions for children. Children become a tax write off for couples while singles pay a tax penalty.
These can include tax cuts and deductions for being married and having children. There are already more than 1,000 laws, just on the federal level, that help provide benefits to those who are married. Those laws were written and enacted by both American political parties. Washington and Politicians like to ignore singles because it is good for them to be seen as pro-marriage and pro-family. Why do you think politicians are always kissing babies on the campaign trail? To win votes and to look relatable to their voters. This has to change.
Direction Politics Should Take Towards Singles
Political institutions from the local level to the federal level in Washington need to realize that singles are now the majority of the American population. Those who are married are becoming a smaller number of the American population. Future policies that should work to dismantle tax deductions that those who are married receive for having children. Singles should not be taxed more people who are married. The more than 1,000 laws that favor those who are married should be rewritten or amended to make a truly equal playing field for everyone when it comes to taxes. It will not matter if they are single, cohabiting, or married. Everyone will be taxed the same instead of some receiving tax benefits from the government for having children.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Being single gets a bad rap from people and society because it is often thought that if you are not dating someone or living with a partner, then you are either anti-social or there is something wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with being single, whether you are single by circumstance or single by choice. Despite popular thought, singles are more social than their coupled and married counterparts. Here are five reasons why being single does not mean you are anti-social or not part of a community because the single life provides freedom.
Singles Are Less Insulated Than Their Coupled Friends
The reality of life is that once you start dating someone, and later maybe marry someone, you become more insulated. This is because two people have committed to each other and as a result have moved to be closer to one of the partner’s families. The partner who most often moves closer to their partner’s family is the husband since the wife wants to be closer to family. This is not always the case, but this is very common. The newly married couple now mostly does activities with their family and family’s friends and does not get out as much compared to their single friends.
While those who are coupled up and married become more insulated, those who are single and unmarried are free to explore and make use of the freedom that the single life offers them. Singles are not committed to a person that also makes them a son-in-law or daughter-in-law to someone else’s family that brings additional obligations with marriage. Singles are able to make the most of their life to work on self-discovery, health, and their career. There is nothing wrong with being single and there is no reason why singles should be in a hurry to get hitched. Being single is fucking awesome!
Singles Have More Friends
Singles have a wider network and more friends than their married counterparts because they are able to meet more people and build new relationships. People who are married become more insulated and are unable to meet new people as they start a new family and stay confined within both of their familial network. This results in them having fewer friends and having less of an ability to meet new people compared to their single friends. Singles are able to go out when they want to, during the week or weekend when they want, while couples have to coordinate with their partner and possibly their family before they are able to go out. Singles should make the most of their unmarried life and meet new people to learn about other peoples’ life experiences and worldviews. Go out, meet people, and make friends singles!
Singles Volunteer More Than Their Coupled Friends
Again, since people who are dating or who are married become insulated and they have other priorities and they have less time to volunteer and to help their community. It has been found that singles volunteer more compared to their married friends. This is not surprising. Couples are committed to each other and in helping their partner and family to do well. Singles are often most interested in personal development, self-discovery, and helping to improve their community. For this reason, singles naturally are able to volunteer in their communities from their church, helping students, to political campaigns because there are not restrained by another person. Singles are able to allocate their time and volunteer for a cause they believe in!
Singles Are More Social Than Their Coupled Friends
Because singles are not restrained by a partner or have to work with a partner to do activities, singles are more social. Singles can try out new places where they live and talk to new people where they visit. The result the flexibility that the single life provides singles allows them to attend more events, explore their city, and to meet new people, and develop their personal network. There would be less opportunity for singles to do this if they were in a relationship. Singles should be open to meeting new people and exploring where they live!
Singles Can Build Their Own Community and Network
While couples become more insulated within their extended families and their own family, singles are able to build their own community and network. Singles are able to do this by meeting like-minded people in their community by attending events, volunteering for causes, and networking with professionals in their industry and industries that they are interested in as a professional. Community is important because human connection is part of the hierarchy of needs and it is healthy for singles to have interaction with other people. Singles should also work to build their career, business, and professional network. Networking is an important skill and your network can help you find people for future endeavors that you may have as a single professional.
Summary
There is a myth believed by society and people that if you are single, you are isolated and alone. Nothing is further from the truth. Singles are more social and have a larger community than their married friends. This is a simple list that only explains five simple ways why singles are in fact not isolated, alone, or anti-social but are in fact more involved and have a better social life than their married counterparts. Being single is great and there is no rush for singles to get married and to become restrained by a romantic relationship.