MAY 19, 2009

So Much Is Changing

So much is changing as a result of this downturn in the economy.  For one, living space seems to be getting smaller.   People are renting out rooms in their homes and grown children are moving back in with their parents to cut costs, the square footage of new houses is being reduced, and more businesses are offering telecommuting to their employees so they can cut back on commercial leases.  Even my office is  consolidating to take advantage of unused space and become more efficient.

In a sense, we are migrating towards each other.  As a recent 5 Forces summary points out, migration is not only about moving away, but can also mean coming together.  Since most of us anticipate that the changes being brought about by the current economic crisis will last a very long time, we could be seeing a permanent transformation in the way we utilize our space and a resulting change in how we interact with each other as well. 

In an era where texting, cell phones, YouTube, blogs, and Facebook have allowed us to communicate more closely, while still keeping our distance, actually shrinking our home and work spaces and forcing greater togetherness could bring back the days when social interaction was defined by water cooler chats and multi-generational dinner table discussions. 

We may come to realize that for all of the advantages of modern communication, nothing compares to a face-to-face conversation.  In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a build-up of a group mentality, a “we’re all in this together” collective thinking, that displaces the “me” focus of past generations. 

It may be a leap to believe that more crowded spacing will develop into deeper bonds between people, but we all want good things to come from downsizing and sacrificing, and if we are lucky, this may be one of them.