Remember how happy Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) of 'Home Alone' was when he missed the trip with his parents? Left all alone for Christmas, not only did he have the whole house to himself but also didn't have to share his pizza or make the bed.
Well! Seems like, the idea of 'living alone' is spreading globally with more young adults preferring to go solo and their numbers have almost doubled in the last decade and a half.
The Census Bureau says that about 33 million Americans now live alone. Single buyers make up more than a quarter of the total home-buyers market, according to the National Association of Realtors. Also, more number of women live alone compared with men: 18 million versus 14 million.
Majority of the solo-living people are aged between 18 and 34. Statistics gathered by research firm Euromonitor International show that the rate of people living alone has gone up from about 153 million in 1996 to 277 million across the globe. Sweden has the highest number of single households with 47 percent followed by Norway at 40 percent.
Various sociologists believe that increased life expectancy, delay in marriage and more number of divorces are some prime reasons why single home-buyers are crowding the market. Economic prosperity and the communication revolution are some other factors pushing people into singletons.
Jennifer De Vivo, a real estate professional in Orlando, Florida, believes that going solo or purchasing a separate home may be a 'means of self expression for singles,' reports Realtormag.
Being a singleton can have its advantages and disadvantages. Single buyers might find it difficult to take up a mortgage and pay for it as they lack the advantage of having two incomes to support the loan. Loneliness and fear may be some other disadvantages.
Meanwhile, the upsides are low maintenance cost, privacy and freedom (just like Kevin!).
In a feature in The Guardian, Eric Klinenberg, a renowned sociologist writes about his research on single household societies. He explains that the general notion about living alone that it 'isolates' and 'fragments' is far from the reality. In fact, people who live alone have a happier and healthier social life. Of course, everyone suffers from doubts about moving out, but so do those who live with families or are married.
Also, those who live alone prefer smaller, greener homes. In another recent survey conducted by the National association of Home Builders (NAHB), it was found that if given a chance to own a house, the Gen Y of America would prefer to own a super-energy-efficient home.
Related: Discover the best cities for singles, here
This trend of living alone questions the age-old saying that 'man is a social animal'. Despite what Klinenberg argues, doubts still cloud thoughts. Are we really losing touch with our social side? How strong is the current living condition? Do we need people to exist or will we just turn into unfeeling cyborgs someday?
