It is proposed that instead of living with a large family, more people are opting to live alone or with a small family. Although this phenomenon can result in certain drawbacks, I contend that its advantages significantly surpass any accompanying disadvantages.
On the one hand, this trend is thought to bring about some disadvantages. One evident disadvantage of selecting to live with a small family or independently is lack of support with domestic responsibilities. This means that people who live alone or with few people will lack natural support from older people and they often have to shoulder everything alone. This is because of the fact that in multi-generational families, grandparents or other older adults can often help with childcare, cooking, or other household chores. Meanwhile living separately, they have to manage all the household chores themselves, from the smallest tasks to the most time-consuming and labor-intensive ones. As a result, the burden of duties at home falling on one or two people can cause prolonged stress and pressure, leading to physical and mental fatigue. For example, when an elderly person has to live alone because there is no one around, they may have difficulty performing household chores, especially when they have health problems, they may be at risk of not being detected in time.
On the other hand, living independently or with fewer people is thought to be an advantage. The first positive aspect is that people will have more valuable time for doing what they want. This is to say that they are free to pursue their interests, passions, and have private space to focus. This is due to the fact that they can spend all their free time pursuing personal interests without being disturbed by anyone, as well as create an ideal quiet and private space to focus on work, study, and design their own living space. Another merit is that when living alone, people can avoid conflicts resulting from generation gaps. This is mainly because each generation grows up in a different historical, economic, and social context, which forms different value systems and perspectives on life. As a consequence, avoiding generational conflicts can reduce stress and direct conflict, not having to face differences in opinions and habits so often helps people avoid everyday arguments and frustrations. For instance, older people may prefer quiet and order, while younger people prefer excitement and freedom, therefore living alone can help them avoid conflicts with each other.