The Lonely American: Drifting Apart in the Twenty-First Century

摘要

According to the 2000 U.S. census, one out of every four households consists of one person only. Many of us may have asked ourselves, "Will the tremendous communication technology advances of the last decades help us connect with others more easily or rob the depth of interpersonal dialogue?" How much are we bound to lose when emails with emoticons replace handwritten cards or when relationships get broken over text messaging? The authors might have cited the inspiring example of the Latino immigrant community, whose strong family bonds lead them to send home a large portion of their hard-earned wages; or the generosity of the lowest income Americans, who donate a higher percentage of their meager income to charity than do wealthier Americans.