Friendless In North America Analysis

Not Having Anyone
In Ellen Goodman article, “Friendless in North America” the author writes about the multiple effects of social isolation. She explained that studies done from 1885 to 2004 turned up some overwhelming news. The studies done were face to face and there were about 1,467 adults. Goodman writes that one-fourth of the people have nobody to talk to about important matters and another reported articulates people are one person less from nobody. From then to now the number of people who have nobody to talk to has doubled. The study is to show how people social isolation effects. Three effects of social isolation are eroding friendships, loneliness, and depression that can cause to death.
One effect of social isolation is eroding

friendship Goodman writes “the past twenty years, technology has changed the way we use our ‘relationship time.’ Walk alone any city street and people talking on cell phones are more common than pigeons. Go into Starbucks and a third of the customers are having coffee dates with their laptops. ‘It could be that talking to people close to us on cell phones has causes our social circle to shrink,’ says Smith-Love. It could be that we are both increasingly in –touch and isolated. It’s because easier to keep extensive relationships over time and distance but harder to build the deep ones in our backyard. In the virtual neighborhood, how many have substituted e-mail for intimacy, contacts confidants, and Facebook for face to face?” (5). Now in this generation technology is more advanced people are getting isolated by the day goes on. Technology is an issue because you lose your communication and interaction skills. People use technology for everything now, like shopping online from food, clothing, and even home necessities. Now parents cannot even take their kids to the park without having the phone on their ear. What happened to just playing and watching the kids to make sure that they are safe. You see mothers walking their baby in the strollers and on the other hand they have their cellular device texting. Some people like to have the newest technology that come out even though it is the same thing they already have it is just the new stuff something are different that they improve. For example Xbox 360 and Xbox live they are the same game system they both need hard drive. For the Xbox 360 buy the camera that is not include with the system you would have the same camera that is already in the Xbox live. The both can add music it is just Xbox 360 have lest space. The only thing different between Xbox live is that you can play online with other people that have the same as you. People rather have a long-term relationship then with people that live around them and can see them as long as they want. While the effect of social isolation is by technology use, it also does by being alone.
Another effect of social isolation is by loneness.

Goodman writes “Robert Putnam has already chronicled the erosion of the ties that bind in Bowling Alone. But we’ve paid less attention to ‘coping alone’ or ‘suffering alone.”(3). Feeling alone is something that everyone feels in their life at one point. For example a person that feels isolated feels lost in a crowed they also have a fear of rejection from others. They may feel alone if they live by themselves. In addition if they feel grief of losing someone. They have inability to participate in activities due to access issues such as not knowing how to working well with others. People that are social isolation may have lack of energy to desire to do things and function. While the effect of social isolation is by being alone, it also does by

death.
Finally the effect of social isolation is depression that can cause to death.

Goodman writes” The people to whom we are closest form our own informal safety net. They’re the ones who see us through a life crisis, lend us their space bedroom, or pick up our kids at school in a pinch, social isolation is as big risk factor for premature death as smoking.”(3). Social isolating is a big health hazard that can cause death. For example they may have mental health increased risk of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, also have lost of appetite that can cause them to lose energy make them weak tiredness and lack of motivation. They can also have sleeping problem. He can have a substance abuse problem by using alcohol, smoking, medications, and drugs. He may have feeling of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide because he may feel that he done not have a purpose in

life.
The effect of social isolation can be cause by many ways. The first way is by technology used, don’t lose the communication and interaction skills by having the object in front of yourself all the time. Secondly is by being a lone try not to sit in the house all day and feel worthless try to make friendly convocation. Lastly is by death don’t suicide it is always help just ask a person for it. Being social isolated is never the answer just ask someone to guide the way.