The encroachment of ‘third spaces’ in the modern day, and its impact on loneliness
The erasure of third spaces is slowly rising. This is not only due to external factors but also because people tend to deprioritise third spaces and the importance they have within communities
Shavindi Pieris, BA Politics 09/12/2024
In 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared loneliness a global public health crisis post-COVID-19. A key contributing factor to this is that people struggle to meet others within a ‘third place’. The ‘third place’, as defined by Ray Oldenburg, is a place “where there's little to no financial barrier to entry and where conversation is the primary activity”. However, the rising cost of living, the hectic schedules that people have, and the prevalence of social media have created barriers to accessing third places. Third places are places such as malls, pubs, coffee houses, playgrounds, gyms, and libraries, which allow people to gather and socialise at very little expense. The purpose of these third places is not limited to socialising with friends and family; it also creates a space for strangers to interact. These third spaces are often communal spaces where conversation occurs at a grassroots level. It is also where communal activities take place: watching sports matches together, enjoying a meal and drinks, and taking time to exercise or read together.
The rising cost of living has emphasised the monetary transaction associated with most social interactions. The ability for a person to spend time with their friend depends on their ability to spend a certain threshold of money. The nature of the third place has shifted the primary focus from conversation to financial entry.
The rising cost of living has also created hectic schedules where most people work multiple jobs to sustain themselves. This means that people cannot meet each other beyond the home, work, or school. Meeting up with friends nowadays feels like scheduling an appointment. The presence of social media such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok alongside messaging apps such as WhatsApp, IMessaging, and Telegram has created the ability for people to instantly connect. This connection can be established through an online platform without having to leave the room. This means that people can gain access to images of their friend’s life and know what they are doing without making an actual effort to communicate with them. The negative impact of this is that it is easy to misunderstand social dynamics in an online platform. The text does not give people insight into the body language or tone of the speaker and is open to misinterpretation. It can be a curated front that people portray, as online communication destroys the ability to convey intimacy, vulnerability, and empathy.
People become passive actors in their interactions with people. Their interactions are distilled into online reels and curated images. These platforms have begun to encroach on the necessity for third spaces as people opt towards online communication. The erasure of third spaces is slowly rising. This is not only due to external factors but also because people tend to deprioritise third spaces and the importance they have within communities. Third spaces do still exist, but the availability of these spaces depends on their use and the value that we place on them. Face-to-face conversations have become a struggle because of the brisk pace of day-to-day lives and our inability to create healthy dynamics and conversations. Third spaces can often help create conversations and opportunities to create meaningful relationships. Protecting them could be a valuable tool in combating the emotional turmoil that people face.