Robert Putnam

Social capital can't just be eat your spinach. It's got to be fun too. I mean, it's, it's, it's so, and that's why I use the example of bowling leagues. It's not saying, Oh, go to a good government meeting. Well, good mother, good government meeting. It's got to be fun. And bowling is fun, but it's also a little bit like a good government meeting.

Is that I may be exaggerating here, but that's, that's where the idea of bowling is. A Bowling Together came and then the opposite of that was we are just less opportunity for encountering people that we know well to talk occasionally about public affairs.

Is that I may be exaggerating here, but that's, that's where the idea of bowling is. A Bowling Together came and then the opposite of that was we are just less opportunity for encountering people that we know well to talk occasionally about public affairs.

Remarkably, I've got good data on how people spend every hour of their day going back to the 1960s. Would you believe that's 60-year time trend? Wow. And it's very interesting. Invite me back for another two hours and I'll talk about how our lives have changed. For example, back in the day, in the 60s, we slept, the average American slept 7.5 hours a day.

Remarkably, I've got good data on how people spend every hour of their day going back to the 1960s. Would you believe that's 60-year time trend? Wow. And it's very interesting. Invite me back for another two hours and I'll talk about how our lives have changed. For example, back in the day, in the 60s, we slept, the average American slept 7.5 hours a day.

And that average is exactly 7.5 hours today. There's been no change on average. Some people speak more. That's impressive, though, still. But here's the complicated part, actually. We're spending less time at work than we used to. Less time at work. No ways. So less time at work. So what do we do with our extra time? All of it is spent in front of screens.

And that average is exactly 7.5 hours today. There's been no change on average. Some people speak more. That's impressive, though, still. But here's the complicated part, actually. We're spending less time at work than we used to. Less time at work. No ways. So less time at work. So what do we do with our extra time? All of it is spent in front of screens.

There's been a steady, steady long-term rise in the amount of time we spend in front of screens. And the most recent data, you might think, well, okay, it used to be screens like television and now it's screens like, you know.

There's been a steady, steady long-term rise in the amount of time we spend in front of screens. And the most recent data, you might think, well, okay, it used to be screens like television and now it's screens like, you know.

You know, some social media.

You know, some social media.

Yeah, yeah, no, but it isn't. We're actually spending more time watching TV than we used to. And we're adding to that. I now don't. Quote me exactly, because I've got the data. I just don't have it in front of me at this moment. I didn't know you were going to ask me this question. We've added, since the advent of social media, another two hours a day. Two hours a day.

Yeah, yeah, no, but it isn't. We're actually spending more time watching TV than we used to. And we're adding to that. I now don't. Quote me exactly, because I've got the data. I just don't have it in front of me at this moment. I didn't know you were going to ask me this question. We've added, since the advent of social media, another two hours a day. Two hours a day.

And yet we're spending less time in the presence of other people. I mean, the data are just the worst you could imagine. We've got more free time. We do have more free time. Wow. And we've spent more than all of that free time. In front of a screen. Damn.

And yet we're spending less time in the presence of other people. I mean, the data are just the worst you could imagine. We've got more free time. We do have more free time. Wow. And we've spent more than all of that free time. In front of a screen. Damn.

Well, you asked me for data.

Well, you asked me for data.

But of course, I want people to watch this podcast. This is a different kind.

But of course, I want people to watch this podcast. This is a different kind.

Christiana, you ask lots of really good questions and they're all complicated. And I'm going to try.