A year ago, the moment I received my dream university’s admission notification, I burst into tears and was tremendously eager to set foot in a new city and start a life of independence. Living alone seems to be a double-edged sword since I started to figure out the pros and cons of this lifestyle. While some may suggest that living alone can be a potential threat for both individuals and society, to me, it seems increasingly obvious that this lifestyle brings more advantages than many people think.
It is obvious that living on your own can be a problem if you cannot afford it or adapt to this lifestyle. First and foremost, living alone can lead to loneliness and social isolation, especially if you are an introvert whose social network is not strong. Without spouses or family members around, you will feel isolated and struggle to articulate your thoughts, which may result in depression. Another con of living alone is the decrease in marriage rate, which can pose a threat to human’s lineage. More and more men and women choose to live alone, which has resulted in a significant decline in civic engagement. In the long term, this tendency can become an obstacle to social development and human evolution.
If living alone is so incredibly bad, why do so many people choose to live by themselves nowadays? Obviously, living on your own can bring more private space and independence. For example, without relatives’ supervision or other people’s disturbance, youngsters can live as they wish and take control over their lives. No matter what they are doing or being, there is no judgment whether they should follow their parents footsteps or not. Moreover, this lifestyle can make people more mature and responsible since they need to accustom themselves to handling personal as well as emotional situations on their own. Last but not least, the trend towards living alone can result in greater demand for housing, which likely benefits the construction industry, estate agents that rely on home owners.
In conclusion, choosing to live a solitary life is not a completely bad tendency, as many people think, if we carefully consider both benefits and drawbacks of this lifestyle. Although more and more people are making decisions about living alone, it would be wise for people to make a decision about whether to live alone or not according to their needs and abilities.