In some countries, more and more people choose to live by themselves, what are the causes? Is it positive or negative trend?

In contemporary society, individualism has increasingly gained currency especially among the young generation in metropolises. Although this tendency may attract people’s attention, the issue as to whether its advantage outweighs the disadvantages remains controversial. In the following essay, the possible reasons and both sides of this trend will be discussed.

One the one hand, anecdotal evidence indicates that people who live in the one-person family tend to be more independent and confident than those staying with parents. Tertiary students who solely live when attending college, for example, have to equip themselves with crucial soft skills such as cooking, solving problem, flexibility, and adaptation so as to struggle with the complexity of modern life. As a result, the more they encounter with difficulties, the more mature and self-responsible they are. In comparison, pupils staying with parents have excessive time to take pleasure and focus on studying. In addition, they are not confronted with several mental and social diseases such as chemical dependency, psychological disorder and financial stress which those living alone have to challenge frequently.

On the other hand, this demographic change has also profoundly impacted on social aspects. In ever-changing society today, the guarantee of high standard-living conditions has been significantly upgraded thanks to the rate of great economic growth. People are also lean towards being time-conscious, meaning that they prefer earning money and enjoy themselves instead of building up a family and taking care of others. A good case of this circumstance is Japan where there is a dramatic diminution in the birth rate. That makes this country become an aging population nation which negatively influences society. In short, individualism lifestyle should be taken into serious consideration.

In conclusion, everything has its own pros and cons, and living alone preference is not an exception. There are various elements leading to this habit and it is unfair to assess that this demographic change is a positive or negative trend.