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| Uploaded: | 2025-11-25 |
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Americans used to have a village, where much of what we needed was provided free of charge, as part of being a community. But now everything -- from childcare to dating to social clubs to exercise -- has become a for-profit entity, charging us for connection and happiness (or even just basic necessities). Totaled up, the life we're constantly being sold costs well over $10,000/month in most major cities, and is out of reach for the average American. But sometimes it feels like there's no other choice. So what's the antidote to all these for-profit solutions to our isolation? In this month's video essay, Chelsea breaks down how we got to this place -- and where we go from here.
Thanks to Samantha Dalton for sharing her expertise with us! Follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sam.the.therapistt?igsh=MXZvNXo0dnNlamIw and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sam.the.therapist
SOURCE LINKS:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/08/americans-are-less-likely-than-others-around-the-world-to-feel-close-to-people-in-their-country-or-community/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4872611/
https://www.ktvu.com/news/gen-z-phone-addiction-bepresent-2024
https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/disconnected-places-and-spaces/
https://www.newsweek.com/child-care-costs-more-expensive-college-1862309
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-executive-summary/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-green-book-an-historic-context.htm
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUTN722410T301000000
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-much-does-an-equinox-membership-cost, https://www.sohohouseco.com/news-and-events/news-details/2025/Soho-House--Co-Inc--Announces-Second-Quarter-2025-Results/default.aspx
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1908630116
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-who-where-and-why-of-online-dating-in-the-u-s/
https://www.beyondintractability.org/bksum/putnam-bowling
https://s203.q4cdn.com/993464185/files/doc_financials/2025/q2/Match-Group-2Q-2025-Prepared-Remarks.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/valentines-day-2024-online-dating-app-fees/
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUTN722410T301000000
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-pet-ownership-and-insurance
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201r14z6r3o
https://theweek.com/business/economy/rising-costs-pet-affordability
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/vet-private-equity-industry/678180/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/how-the-rising-cost-of-childcare-hurts-parents-job-stability
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/still-underpaid-and-unequal/
https://time.com/child-care-crisis/
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-cities-for-childcare-daycare-us-affordable-care-cost-2023-5
https://open.substack.com/pub/rebeccagale/p/private-equity-is-coming-for-child?r=223wg&utm_medium=ios
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/16/us/child-care-centers-private-equity.html
https://jacobin.com/2025/04/private-equity-day-care-childcare
https://blog.dol.gov/2024/11/26/highlights-of-a-record-breaking-national-apprenticeship-week-2024
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
https://ir.doordash.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107040 https://news.linkedin.com/2025/Q4FY25_Earnings_Highlights
https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/01/new-stats-on-registered-apprenticeships/
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/150423_upskill_report_final_3.pdf
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/match-group-announces-second-quarter-results-302522306.html
https://www.epi.org/publication/millions-of-workers-millions-of-workers-want-to-join-unions-but-couldnt/
https://www.ft.com/content/66434380-8a79-41e0-9f3e-8485d9241345
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/match-group-announces-second-quarter-results-302522306.html
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/06/for-the-first-time-social-media-overtakes-tv-as-americans-top-news-source/
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/attention-economy/
TIME STAMPS:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:39 Ad break
00:06:41 Intro continued
00:10:57 Chapter 1: Why aren't we getting together anymore?
00:21:14 Chapter 2: Dating apps and the price of being single
00:32:01 Chapter 3: The pet industrial complex
00:39:01 Chapter 4: Who is watching our kids?
00:46:55 Chapter 5: The death of the union & the rise of the gig economy
00:55:22 Chapter 6: Social media and the breadcrumbing of community
Americans used to have a village, where much of what we needed was provided free of charge, as part of being a community. But now everything -- from childcare to dating to social clubs to exercise -- has become a for-profit entity, charging us for connection and happiness (or even just basic necessities). Totaled up, the life we're constantly being sold costs well over $10,000/month in most major cities, and is out of reach for the average American. But sometimes it feels like there's no other choice. So what's the antidote to all these for-profit solutions to our isolation? In this month's video essay, Chelsea breaks down how we got to this place -- and where we go from here.
Thanks to Samantha Dalton for sharing her expertise with us! Follow her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sam.the.therapistt?igsh=MXZvNXo0dnNlamIw and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sam.the.therapist
SOURCE LINKS:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/08/americans-are-less-likely-than-others-around-the-world-to-feel-close-to-people-in-their-country-or-community/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4872611/
https://www.ktvu.com/news/gen-z-phone-addiction-bepresent-2024
https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/disconnected-places-and-spaces/
https://www.newsweek.com/child-care-costs-more-expensive-college-1862309
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-executive-summary/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-green-book-an-historic-context.htm
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUTN722410T301000000
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-much-does-an-equinox-membership-cost, https://www.sohohouseco.com/news-and-events/news-details/2025/Soho-House--Co-Inc--Announces-Second-Quarter-2025-Results/default.aspx
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1908630116
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-who-where-and-why-of-online-dating-in-the-u-s/
https://www.beyondintractability.org/bksum/putnam-bowling
https://s203.q4cdn.com/993464185/files/doc_financials/2025/q2/Match-Group-2Q-2025-Prepared-Remarks.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/valentines-day-2024-online-dating-app-fees/
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPUTN722410T301000000
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-pet-ownership-and-insurance
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201r14z6r3o
https://theweek.com/business/economy/rising-costs-pet-affordability
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/vet-private-equity-industry/678180/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/how-the-rising-cost-of-childcare-hurts-parents-job-stability
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/still-underpaid-and-unequal/
https://time.com/child-care-crisis/
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-cities-for-childcare-daycare-us-affordable-care-cost-2023-5
https://open.substack.com/pub/rebeccagale/p/private-equity-is-coming-for-child?r=223wg&utm_medium=ios
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/16/us/child-care-centers-private-equity.html
https://jacobin.com/2025/04/private-equity-day-care-childcare
https://blog.dol.gov/2024/11/26/highlights-of-a-record-breaking-national-apprenticeship-week-2024
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
https://ir.doordash.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107040 https://news.linkedin.com/2025/Q4FY25_Earnings_Highlights
https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/01/new-stats-on-registered-apprenticeships/
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/150423_upskill_report_final_3.pdf
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/match-group-announces-second-quarter-results-302522306.html
https://www.epi.org/publication/millions-of-workers-millions-of-workers-want-to-join-unions-but-couldnt/
https://www.ft.com/content/66434380-8a79-41e0-9f3e-8485d9241345
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/match-group-announces-second-quarter-results-302522306.html
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/06/for-the-first-time-social-media-overtakes-tv-as-americans-top-news-source/
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/attention-economy/
TIME STAMPS:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:39 Ad break
00:06:41 Intro continued
00:10:57 Chapter 1: Why aren't we getting together anymore?
00:21:14 Chapter 2: Dating apps and the price of being single
00:32:01 Chapter 3: The pet industrial complex
00:39:01 Chapter 4: Who is watching our kids?
00:46:55 Chapter 5: The death of the union & the rise of the gig economy
00:55:22 Chapter 6: Social media and the breadcrumbing of community
No transcript to display.