In this his piece Charlie talks about the way that the loss of community has been exacerbated by our use of technology and the pandemic, and wonders if the answer to our isolation may be there in the past. 

Well here we are. The end of the pandemic is in sight (hopefully). So back to the epidemic of our own making, so it can progress at a faster pace. LONELINESS.

The age of a digital life, where we pick our partners on digital dating sites. Our children play on a digital platform. Shop online – Our lives run online. The lockdown has increased this lifestyle. We’ve grown more accustomed to this way of life, it’s easier, more convenient. But so many people are being left behind.

The old, the young, the homeless the people with metal health problems etc. The people who were already suffering from this, before lockdown now have it double down on them. They look out of the window and see life returning to normality, but not for them, the places are still not open and maybe never will be.

The number is growing, not only in the old, but the young too (check out research carried out in Japan).

Maybe it’s time to look backwards, a time when we didn’t have all this modern technology. How people met, how family were closer, how communities were more connected. At the moment we rely on charities, to hold coffee clubs or similar type things. Why can’t we use what was used years ago; parish councils and alike in towns and cities. The small little parts of councils, they used to organise, all types of festivities, all year round, getting the whole community involved, using village halls, community centres, local schools, using and funding these smaller council to work with their parishioners. Building a community again, something they used to do 50-60 years ago, all the time.

Modern technology is good but we are social animals And if you look back in time the answer may just be there – Just maybe.