L oneliness. Some blame this growing epidemic on the smart phones that seem to be attached to everyone’s ears. If not a phone, then noise-cancelling headphones to block out other people. Others say the problem is our increased mobility: With better transportation, people can easily move far away from friends and family for work or a change of scenery. My grandmother says that in the 1950s, people stopped socializing as much when televisions became a fixture in most living rooms. “TVs put an end to visiting,” she says. “Everyone was too busy watching TV.” Ī COVER FOCUS: Loneliness 6 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2018 by Natalee Kasza A SOLITARY