Consequences of living alone

The second part of your assignment asks you to focus the consequences of living alone for the individual as well as for society, as they are presented in “Why more Americans are living alone”.

You should also include in your essay references to topic, genre, receiver, and intention.

“Why more Americans are living alone”

“Why more Americans are living alone” is a news video published on the PBS website in 2012. The genre (the type of text/material) is that of a video report/news clip.

The topic (the theme, the subject) of “Why more Americans are living alone” is the growing number of Americans who live alone and the consequences of this trend. The topic is debated in an interview with Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist who wrote a book on Americans living alone. In the interview, Klinenberg argues that living alone has both positive and negative consequences for individuals and society.

The receiver of the text is the American public (American viewers) who follow or watch the Public Broadcasting Service. Since the video is also available on the website of PBS, potential receivers could be any other English-speaking audiences interested in the topic.

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Consequence of living alone for individuals

The text “Why more Americans are living alone” discusses a number of positive and negative consequences of living alone in American society.

One positive consequence for the individual is that living alone makes one more likely to interact and socialize with others:

…people who live alone, whether they’re 30 or 40 or 75, are actually more likely than people who are married to spend time with friends and with neighbors, to go out in the city and spend time and money in bars and restaurants and cafes. They’re more likely to go to public events. They’re even more likely to volunteer in civic organizations. (ll. 61-64)

In other words, living alone does not make people feel lonely and isolated. Out of all the people living alone “the very vulnerable and isolated people do represent a small minority” (ll. 72-73).

Finally, living alone makes people less likely to enter marriages and relationships with the wrong people:

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Consequences of living alone for society

As we have seen, living alone has various consequences for individuals. On a wider scale, society is also affected by the positive and negative consequences of people choosing to live alone.

A positive consequence for society is that living alone leads to more civic engagement, as many people who live alone are “more likely to volunteer in civic organizations” (l. 64). This means that living alone often promotes community spirit, as people are more likely to interact with their friends and neighbors.

Another positive consequence for society is that living alone encourages people to contribute to the local economy by socializing outside their homes:

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