At the Happiness conference I attended in Brisbane a common theme was the importance of being connected to family or friends if we are to be healthy and happy. Until recent times, such bonds were taken for granted as central to our lives. Not so today.

When I started consulting to singles in 1976 I was aware that statistics at the time reflected a trend for young adults to delay marriage, presumably to pursue education and careers. Most, lived in student households or shared accommodation until they walked down the aisle in their mid to later Twenties. Yet, within but a decade or two, not only would vast numbers of men and women of all ages be single but many would also be living in homes alone… or as single parents with offspring.

Whereas in 1971 the single-person household accounted for only 5.5 per cent of the Australian population, this had almost doubled by 2004, and is now predicted to increase to up to 34 per cent in 2026. Similar trends are also evident in the US and the UK.

The shift from the nuclear family unit, to the one-adult household, as the domicile for millions of men and women of all ages cannot be ignored when considering the future of our society and of our relationships. Indeed it has been viewed as so significant by respected Australian social researcher, Hugh McKay, that he has described it as the “demographic equivalent of climate change”. Yet there has been little commentary or public concern as to the implications of this dramatic societal change.

There is no doubt that ever increasing numbers of people will be living solo, whether by choice or circumstance. Maybe you are one of the many who enjoy the privacy and comfort that living alone allows?

However, I believe the outcome of this trend has been serious societal problems associated with loneliness and isolation, and that this will create social alienation on a much larger scale unless we have the foresight to take preventive action now.

If singles of all adult age groups are likely to be such a significant sector of our society, surely we must focus on ensuring that those of us who live alone can be connected to a community in which they feel valued, form friendships and have a sense of belonging.

I saw a promising solution in a segment of a film, ‘Happy’, shown at the conference. It featured a small urban residential community, one of several purpose-built in Copenhagen, in which singles, single parents, couples and families have their own private quarters but share a large common kitchen and living/ dining area, cooking, cleaning and maintenance of the property.  They also enjoy the friendship and support of a community containing adults of varied ages and children.

Sound like a good idea to you?