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THE DECREASE IN TRUST
Over the last 50 years there has been a decrease in
"neighborliness" within the average community. This may be due to the
isolating influences of television, or the use of computers and air conditioning, and
also may be due to increased mobility in the population at large. Academically
speaking, our
social capital has decreased.
Television
The most devastating influence on neighborliness has been television. The average house has a TV on over 60 hours per week.
Although giving us a window on the world, when we are watching it, we are
experiencing life vicariously. We are not experiencing real
people, we are not outside walking, gardening or socializing with our neighbors--as used to be the case in villages the world over.
Moreover, the content of television has significantly added
to the level of fear to our lives. Not only does TV put the most horrific world
news in our face every day, the heavy emphasis of violence as
entertainment creates the impression that we live in a very
dangerous society--despite the fact that violent crime has actually decreased
over recent years.
Computers and the Internet
Recent studies (2006) have indicated that a further degradation
of social "wealth", coupled with increased loneliness, has taken place with the
fascination of our society with computers and the internet. Recent figures
indicate that a 15-20% increase in loneliness, has taken place in our
society since the widespread adoption of computers and the internet. (More
documentation on this coming soon).
Different than "in the old days"
People used to drop in on neighbors
to borrow a cup of sugar or a tool and share the events--and emotions--of their
lives. Now we get into our car, drive two miles to the supermarket to buy a
single bag of sugar or a quart of milk, leave our neighbors behind because we
don't know them or don't want to bother them.
Returning from the store, we pass by the empty sidewalks of our
neighborhood, press our remote garage door opener and disappear once again into our
TV-and-computer-windowed fort.
While it is true that we should be careful in our social
dealings it is also true that experiencing others as part of the family
of man is essential to our spiritual growth and to peace
in the world.
The purpose of the Neighborhood Trust Network is to
create trust, friendship and peace between individuals by making the process of sharing
possessions much easier.
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