Isolation and Dissatisfaction in the Suburbs

The authors suggest that loneliness and isolation are to blame.

"The problem isn't really suburbia itself; it's isolation, which can affect anyone. (Fess up, city dwellers. Do you really even know who lives next door?)

During the same period, we began to see the outside world as hostile and our homes as a haven, partly because we couldn't understand our new neighbors with different backgrounds, says Parks. As a result, even city dwellers retreated into their homes and focused on their intimate relationships.

And why does this make us unsatisfied? "Humans are social beings who need friends," says Parks. The better our friend network, the more satisfied we are with all aspects of our lives-including our neighborhoods, says Parks."