> In short, this is a lifestyle issue of their own making.

Wow, this is such a superficial analysis. The article was clear that this was also linked to wealth: wealthy people were not affected.

We're talking about large scale societal trends. Can you explain why, in a certain period of time, millions of people just decided to create lifestyle issues of their own making? What makes these people different from previous generations? How can we not talk about the overall economy, for example?

The way I read it, wealth didn't make it worse, while poverty did.

But the issue of being lonely and that causing psychological issues is also affecting the wealthy. In fact, I would guess that many of the villa owners in my area are wealthy.

And surely people wanting to stay in the house that they grew up in is a lifestyle choice. What makes them different from previous generations is that they can afford to make this choice. Their parents probably had to live with family for financial or cultural reasons.

So I stand by my summary: people are making decisions with unexpected side effects.

> Their parents probably had to live with family for financial or cultural reasons.

Not sure there's any evidence of this. The article is talking about people in their 50s and 60s, not "the elderly" you referred to in your original tweet. My (pre-Boom) grandparents were certainly not living with their parents when they were in their 50s or 60s (or indeed at any age after adulthood).

Well, for one thing, they're living longer, at least the men are.

David Brooks wrote a great piece on the pretty disastrous consequences of the American nuclear family[1]. It's primarily concerned with the socio-economic aspect of it, that is to say the erosion of a communal safety net and support in particular among the working class, but I think this also applies to the baby boomer generation here.

[1]https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-nuc...

If my dad[0] did that, he'd have to meet other people, and he hates that. He's very happy on his own. I tried convincing him to move to an apartment closer to us, but he prefers to stay in the town he's lived in for the past 50 years. It's where his chess club is.

[0] quintessential baby boomer, though the article incorrectly tries to label him a war baby

I believe that many people making such a decision don't know or do not consider the effects that isolation will have on their brain. That's why I believe there should be more discussion about the side effects of such a decision.

But if people knowingly accept that, I see nothing wrong with it. My grandma also was the same. But she kind of compensated for the loneliness at home by being super active in an outdoor hiking club.

Apartment life is absolutely terrible. Noisy neighbors, inappropriate management, etc. In my opinion apartments are very much for those who cannot afford homes. When you own your own property you have so much more freedom.