From 2011 and onwards there has been a sharp increase of mental health issues and social isolations. one factor linked with cities. And the second factor is correlated to the digitalisation.

 

Social isolation or loneliness is defined as involving the cognitive awareness of a deficiency in one’s social and personal relationships, and the ensuing affective reactions of sadness, emptiness, or longing.

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There’s often a stereotype that loneliness mainly strikes older, isolated people. And of course it can. But the higher rates of loneliness is among younger people. This is driven by social media and the "digital world".

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The urban migrant leaves behind their own social ties and often struggles to connect to their new community. This challenges both the migrant and their new neighbours.

Third places can help by creating or enhancing a sense of community on a smaller, more human scale – a relief from the overwhelming sensory experience of a large and unfamiliar city. The village-like feeling of third places can reduce people’s anxieties and make them more comfortable with trying a new social experience.

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