Life

This Is How Many Americans Value Their Alone Time

If you’re someone who would prefer to be alone than be around other people, you’re not alone. The results of a recent Pew survey found that 85 percent of those surveyed think it’s “important” to have alone time, while 55 percent categorized alone time as “very important.” The research, which focused on how Americans feel about security and privacy, also found that 79 percent of respondents felt it was either “very” or “somewhat” important that they not be asked highly personal questions in social situations or at work. Basically, the majority of Americans want to be to left alone and don’t want to answer your nosy inquiries. Doesn’t seem totally surprising.

This isn’t the first study to find that Americans, even those head-over-heels in love, crave solo time. A 2011 study found that people who spend time alone have a more “well-functioning social life” than those who are constantly surrounded by others, and a Harvard study found that people are more likely to form far more accurate and lasting memories when they experience them alone. In being alone, we’re not just enjoying that break from others, but actually benefiting from it in ways we may not have realized.

So if you like being alone a lot of the time and have yet to go outside and do alone time things in public, it’s time to do so. You may feel vulnerable and exposed at first, but considering just how many people love to be alone and love to be left to their own devices even in public, you’re in the majority. Embrace it. Besides, you know you’re favorite topic is you and you don’t know the last time you annoyed yourself by being you.

Images: Helga Weber/Flickr; Giphy(2)