A hub for society

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll on all of our lives and we are all coming to the realisation that current events could shape how we live and work for years to come. Understandably, during a health crisis most if not all of the focus is on maintaining everyone’s physical health. However, we are seeing that this comes at the cost of mental health and well-being, pre-existing issues like social isolation and feelings of loneliness have become exacerbated.

For most people, especially young adults, work and office life used to fill a large proportion of their social encounters, after all a large proportion of our day was spent in the office working closely with friends and colleagues. Despite this, social isolation and loneliness are not a new phenomenon. Prior to Covid-19, research and studies already demonstrated that we were in the midst of a ‘loneliness epidemic’, where generation after generation felt lonelier or more socially isolated than the previous generation. This is largely because of a rising number of people living alone and people becoming reliant on technology for their social interaction outside of the work place. So now with remote working rolled out on a large-scale people are more reliant than ever on technology to combat loneliness.

You might be wondering what the answer is, in reality we all are due to the nature and abruptness of the situation we find ourselves in. What we do know is that coworking has a very large role to play in the future and offers a lot of hope and stability during this period of uncertainty. Coworking enables you to maintain social contacts in a safe space, as well as meet new people who could eventually become potential business partners, future prospects or even just a friend or mentor, helping both your business and personal life go forward in a time where everything feels like it has been put on pause.

Well it is Valentine’s Day after all…the office has always been one of the world’s biggest matchmakers...sorry Tinder! Recent research showed that 22% of people meet their romantic partner at work, with only 13% saying they met their partner online, 18% through friends and 10% from a night out. The office plays an even bigger role in society and in our lives than we could ever have imagined. Research also points out that Europeans are more open to the idea of dating a co-worker. Although one of the biggest benefits of coworking spaces is the diverse range of businesses in each building, so you wouldn’t even necessarily have to date a colleague in order to have a relationship with a co-worker. So put that phone down and come to a Silversquare near you!