By Gabby Bracken
When was the last time you caught up with a friend? No, liking their picture on Instagram doesn’t count. I mean made plans with someone to get out of the house, go somewhere fun and have a good time together filled with great conversations. If you can’t remember, you wouldn’t be alone.
Third spaces are cafes, libraries, shopping malls, parks, bars and any other place where you can mingle with others and be social. Think Central Perk from Friends or Monk’s from Seinfeld, the meeting place where the characters regularly hang out. Most sitcoms demonstrate well what third spaces are, though they do so in an exaggerated way because let’s be honest, we can’t catch up with our mates at a cafe or bar every single day without fail.
The term was first introduced in the 1989 novel “The Great Good Place” by American Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg. He moved from a lively neighbourhood with a strong sense of community to a Floridian subdivision that was extremely private and exclusive. Oldenburg believes that a livable city should have daily necessities within walking distance, rather than people having to drive everywhere. He deems that communities and connections are built and nurtured through third spaces.
“What suburbia cries for are the means for people to gather easily, inexpensively, regularly, and pleasurably—a ‘place on the corner’.” – Sociologist Ray Oldenburg.
Due to the ever-growing cost of living, the rise of social media, and the lingering aftereffects of the pandemic and social distancing rules, many locations designed for social interaction have disappeared. Younger people have a harder time being comfortable in group settings and lack basic social skills due to this decline in face-to-face interaction.
Annie Raser-Rowland, an author from Western Australia, told the ABC the community and familiarity that come with seeking out third spaces and spending time with people is crucial to one’s mental health. Data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey show that from the years 2001-2021, one in every five Australians said that they often feel very lonely. Third spaces can combat those feelings of loneliness and isolation.
“Humans — even introverts — need to be around other people.” Author Annie Raser-Rowland.
Social media is a major factor in the death of third spaces because for most people, especially young people, their third space is online. Social media has its pros and cons. It’s a great way for people who have trouble socialising in real life to make connections with others on the internet. There’s a sense of courage that being behind a screen can provide. No one really knows who you are, and that anonymity can allow people to reinvent themselves and come across in a way they might not be able to in face-to-face interactions.
On the flip side, many people are permanently online the minute they’re not working, at school or asleep, aimlessly scrolling through their various social feeds. This has resulted in many of us seeking social interactions through our devices because it’s more convenient than getting up and going out. Social media has encouraged the laziness of human beings.
The COVID pandemic also affected how we live and interact with each other. With businesses closed and everybody stuck at home, there was no possible way for us to meet up and hang out outside of a screen. It felt like every person was on social media, as it was the only way to feel any connection to the outside world. During the lockdowns, third spaces became practically obsolete. For many people, home also became school and work, creating one sole space to do everything.
During 2020-2021, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing showed that 15 per cent of Australians aged 16–85 experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress as measured by the Kessler 10 scale (a simple measure of psychological distress, the K10 scale involves 10 questions about emotional states each with a five-level response scale). The heightened level of psychological distress would rise and fall coinciding with lockdown requirements during different points of the pandemic. When restrictions were loosened, the level of psychological distress in people decreased, and then would rise again if another COVID wave hit and we were thrown back into lockdown.
Most humans thrive on social interaction. Hanging out with people face to face in a location separate from work or home is so important for mental health. We need that area that is removed from the stressors of work or home life, and is instead focused on connecting with people and building relationships. So call your friends and go grab a coffee or have a picnic in the park … and leave the phones at home!
Featured photo by Mikhail Nilov/Pexels.com
