A pair of labor economists found that 84% of people who work remotely spend their work time alone. And since three times as many people worked remotely in 2024 compared to (pre-COVID) 2019, that’s a lot of potentially lonesome souls. Not surprisingly, over half of remote workers felt less connected to colleagues. Some who didn’t feel estranged probably don’t care much about the job to begin with. “It’s a paycheck”, a means to an end. How sad. When you spend 50% of your waking hours involved with something or someone, shouldn’t it provide a sense of fulfillment and even joy?
While remote work provides many potential benefits, it also has enhanced people’s sense of isolation and distress. The labor economist authors went on to state that “The office is the No.1 place adults form friendships, outranking houses of worship, children’s schools, neighborhoods, and sports teams.” Quiet time and contemplation are great; just not forever.
If you’re motivated by upward mobility at work, consider that if three people with similar jobs at a big company work remotely, and three others work at the office daily, who do you think has a better chance of promotion if/when the time comes? The people who the bosses see and interact with daily, or the Zoom-only participants?
Our brains are wired to communication better when in the presence of others (the social baseline theory), not while on regular Brady Bunch calls, where some users quietly multi-task (poorly) with emails, Kalshi, cell phones, or Door Dash.
We know that the mental health of the elderly is directly correlated to regular activities with in-person connections. Even a small circle of friends is better for us than any bots, avatars, social media “friends”, influencers, and/or A.I. interlopers. Interacting might be intimidating for the shy and natural introverts, but everyone needs a modicum of human connection.
While most workers indicate they’d often love to leave office/work politics, micromanaging, and drama behind, the half million work-from-home people who participated in labor economists’ Harrington/Emmanuel/Pallais study profiled in Science magazine led to the following conclusion: “…remote work explains a third of the deterioration in mental health between 2011 and 2024.”
Phone company AT&T told us to “reach out and touch someone” in 1979; that concept rings truer today in a post-modern, post-truth, post-connection world that encourages disconnection, digital dopamine/endorphin lures, and self-absorption. Strive to stay involved, engaged, interested, connected, and optimistic.
Think about it…