What do you make of this study?

[Kromovaracun]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7755641.stm

I'm personally quite interested in reading the study itself (I don't have time to read it at the minute, but shall do so later). So my current take on it is only based on what's in the article.

I'm personally a little wary of some of the criteria for isolation it describes as being measured - e.g. living alone: one can happily live alone and have quite an active social/community existence. Ditto for living in a place for less than a year. Plus is it really a bad thing that there's more geographical mobility than there used to be?

What do you think on thismatter? And what do you make of this specific study? I ask this partly out of genuine curiosity but also because I can detect my own persuasions tinting my reading of it - I'd like to hear what others have to say on it.

I beg people, please do not turn this into another debate on immigration/decline of everything...

[123everton]

Wishful thinking on the immigation issue Krom as it's clearly stated.
Personally I don't see how the influx of immigrants can stop British people talking to one another but hey ho who knows...
I walk a lot and often I'll pass people and want to say good morning etc but don't, sometimes when I do they look startled or don't answer (FFS).
I feel often now many people care only for themselves and they choose to cut themselves off from others, they step out of the house into the car, up to the car park onto the train and the headphones go straight on.
People didn't have cars or walkmans years ago and would walk to the shops daily for their goods, social habits have changed and I feel that many people are unhappy now because in many ways people aren't as nice as they used to be.

[Ice.Maiden]

I believe that there's still a community feel, but it depends on where you live. People in hamlets & villages tend to know each other, so there's still a friendship amongst the older generations. Unfortunately, as new people move in, they may not've been used to rural life, and tend to keep to themselves. This isolates them from the rest, particularly if the new people don't immerse themselves in village life and get to know their neighbours. It's not always in countrified places this happens though. I have lots of friends who live just outside of towns, in fairly urban areas, and it doesn't stop people from stopping to pass the time of day.

[Oneeyedvic]

Lots of reasons for this, but one thing that is rarely talked about is technology. 30 years ago, a telephone was a luxury. 15 years ago, ditto for a mobile. Now we communicate all the time with phones.

You used to have to get on with your neighbours, as if you wanted help, it would pretty much have to be a close neighbour who would help you.

Now, since everyone has a phone, car, computer etc, it is very easy to ignore your neighbours and speak to (or ask for help from) people you know, no matter how far away they are.