Is modern life rubbish? Two thirds say yes
(5 October 2004)Modern life in the UK is a mix of unhappy jobs, isolation and material wants, according to a survey published today. 66% of commuters don’t think their journey to work is worth it, and 82% of us comfort shop, the survey by international development charity VSO has found. The survey also found that 68% of us have not spoken to our neighbour in the last week.
Oliver James, psychologist and author of Britain on the Couch says:
Throughout the developed world people are wanting what they haven't got and wanting to be someone they are not, creating widespread unhappiness. Commuting, in order to earn more in order to be able to pursue advertising and culturally stimulated wants that have become confused with needs, is a classic work-life imbalance. Spending time in the developing world helps people to rediscover the difference between consumer wants and true needs, such as for food and shelter, but also for community membership and the need to help others and cooperate with them.
Adam Bowers of VSO says:
There is a general feeling of dissatisfaction amongst people who want more from life than the daily grind. Our returned volunteers invariably say that they have experienced a level of community involvement overseas that they wish existed in the UK.
He continues:
VSO commissioned the survey to discover if living in the developed world is as satisfying as we all assume. Even though people in Africa and Asia appear to have less than us in the UK, people who emigrate to the developing world find that often they are more satisfied with everyday life than they were in the UK.
Jacqueline Hill is a returned VSO volunteer:
I worked in Bangladesh for a year. I had a very basic lifestyle and there was certainly no comfort shopping! My journey to work was 20 minutes in a rickshaw and I was always greeted with cries of delight from the children, and I would spend half an hour with them before going into the office. The hour commute into London on the train couldn’t be more different. In Bangladesh I was surround by a strong community feeling, which I miss in the UK.
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