Loneliness stinks! Get Outside and Touch Grass!
Have you noticed it? There seems to be an immense difference in the way we connect and interact with each other compared to just 15 years ago. It seems that most people would rather text or DM someone than call to talk. And stopping by to say hello in person is more rare than ever. Spoken, face-to-face communication is becoming a lost art—going the way of the Dodo Bird, or cursive handwriting. This change is anything but an improvement. Studies suggest that this lack of connection is contributing to an alarming increase in loneliness throughout the world.
It's not just the darn phones, but...
Our phones have been an amazing tool for sending and receiving information, but like every other technical advancement, these devices have come with a cost that many of us wish we had understood sooner. Our phones have replaced all sorts of things we used to consider necessities: calculators, flashlights, cameras, video recorders, television, newspapers, books, photo albums, planners, wallets, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and our ability to spell.
Having so many helpful tools rolled into a pocket-sized computer has been nice, but dangerous. These small mobile devices have created the delusion that we could “reach out and touch someone” no matter where we were. Yet they’ve proven to be an inadequate replacement for real connection. Ironically, that’s the one thing smartphones have always claimed they would improve.
Humans need real connections.
We’ve lost a lot in the name of progress. Digital devices have been sold as a way to increase our sense of connectedness, but reality tells a different story. Our physiology demands something more tangible. Humans are made for face-to-face connection, personal interaction, and even touch. Our technologies, as impressive as they are, can only mimic that, and many of us, particularly the youngest among us, have paid a high price for this counterfeit connection.
In 2023 loneliness was declared an epidemic, affecting roughly half of all adults. The World Health Organization has found one in six people globally experience measurable loneliness, with roughly 871,000 deaths annually from isolation-related health impacts.
The mortality risk is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
On top of that, our screen time keeps climbing. The average person spends 5 hours and 48 minutes on their phone each day. For Gen Z, it's over 6.5 hours. Over the last two decades, teenagers' in-person interaction has dropped 70%.
It’s easy to see that many of us, not just young people, are losing some of our ability to connect and communicate face-to-face. How often have you seen people gathered for an event where they could be talking about their lives and their passions, but instead they are just sharing mindless memes with each other on their phones? Some people are choosing loneliness even in a crowd, stepping away from the chatter to focus on their phones.
Humans need people. We need to feel connected. That connection translates to security and stability, and it can only come from real human interaction. Anything less is a counterfeit—a lie.
You probably know people who watch social media reels and feel a connection with the people posting the videos, but the people they’re watching have no connection to them. We need interactions that are deeper than 'likes' on a 6-inch screen.
Technology promised connection, but instead it created an isolation crisis, and every year the problem intensifies as an increasing number of people find themselves spending more and more time in quiet seclusion.
You can be part of the solution.
We need to get out and touch grass! Literally! And we need to invite our neighbors to join us.
At first blush, you may think this epidemic has nothing to do with plants or landscaping, but we believe it does. For years we have argued that our outdoor spaces are essential for our health. Decades of scientific studies have proven that being in green spaces improves our focus, slows our heart rate, lowers blood pressure, calms our nerves, and even helps with depression and anxiety.
What better way to fight loneliness than to create an outdoor haven, complete with gardens, recreational space, and a firepit, where family, friends, and neighbors can come and mingle? Creating these spaces will likely require some help, and as you invite others to work beside you to build something special, your personal connection will deepen and improve.
The two best ways to strengthen a bond between people are to play together, and to work together building something meaningful. As you connect with your family and friends to build your outdoor escape, you will create bonds that are linked to meaningful activities. That connection will grow even stronger as these same friends who worked beside you relax around the grill or the firepit they helped you build.
Plants are key.
Trees, shrubs, and perennial plants will attract friends and family to your yard the same way that they attract birds, butterflies, and wildlife. It’s human nature. We’re drawn to beautiful places. When our landscapes are loaded with vegetation and buzzing with life they feel peaceful and inviting, allowing us to relax and open up with one another. We share thoughts, feelings, laughter, and recipes. We come to realize that we all struggle with something big, and each of us has gifts and strengths that can help with those challenges.
Let’s fight the loneliness epidemic together by creating inviting spaces and filling them with the beauty of nature. Then, let’s invite people to share them with us. Isolation-related mortality has to be one of the saddest statistics ever recorded. Certainly, we can help lower that number!
As odd as it may sound, outdoor spaces filled with flourishing plants should be a huge part of the solution to isolation. Green spaces are healing spaces. The life-giving power of nature calms nerves, improves focus, and settles the mind. It’s one reason why modern hospitals include more open space, more light, more windows, and more plants. They call it "The Healing Environment." Let us help you create your ideal outdoor healing garden where you can connect with the earth and the people around you!
If you feel like creating a garden escape is beyond your ability, reach out to us. We’ve been growing trees, shrubs, and perennials right here in the Salt Lake Valley for over 40 years. We know what will thrive in your yard. Connect with us today!
