This from Derek Thompson’s “The Anti-Social Century”:
>Practically the entire economy has reoriented itself to allow Americans to stay within their four walls. This phenomenon cannot be reduced to remote work. It is something far more totalizing—something more like “remote life.”

He notes that “loneliness” might be the wrong word for our social malady, since we’re mostly choosing to avoid interacting with our flesh-and-blood brethren. Chatting (not talking) on the phone seems to satisfy the social itch without the inconveniences.
Thinking about all this has changed my thinking about remote work. Certainly it has its appeal, but when I look back on my working and commuting life, the relationships and experiences it engendered, I’m grateful, however much I grumbled at the time. We might imagine that we can replace those commuting and office hours with reading, walks in the woods, and coffee with friends. Maybe! But we should be very sure that they won’t be replaced by takeout food alone watching Netflix.