#1 Our Homophobic Neighbor Complained To The City That Our Trash Bins Are On The Side Of Our House. The City Said We Could Put Up A Lattice In Front Of The Bins
Bored Panda spoke about neighborly life, and why we no longer seem to know who our neighbors are with Suzanne Degges-White, Ph.D. She is a Licensed Counselor, Professor, and the Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. She explained to us what has happened over the past half a century in the United States.
“A lot of things have changed over the last 50-60 years that have created obstacles to getting to know our neighbors,” she told us.
#5 My Friend Found This Puppy. We Took It To The Neighbor Previously Seen With Puppies, And He Said He Had “Set The Puppy Free” Because He’d Already Gotten Rid Of The Rest
#6 Told My Neighbors' Kids To Knock It Off When I Caught Them Throwing Rocks Against My Fence And Siding. Found This In My Backyard 30 Mins Later. I Have A Dog
“We're more independent and less inter-dependent than we used to be. We're also more peripatetic—the number of people who grow up and stay in their hometowns or family neighborhoods has diminished so we don't have the connections with neighbors or others in the community that people used to cultivate over the years and even over generations,” the professor explained to Bored Panda.
#8 Our Duplex Neighbor Of 3 Years Mysteriously Moved In The Middle Of The Night. We Had Never Seen The Inside Of His House The Whole Time. Now We Know Why
“We are often ‘strangers in a strange land’ when we move into new cities for our jobs,” Professor Degges-White said. Technological developments have also pushed us away from interacting with our neighbors.
“Something that we often don't think about if we're living in a modern home is that up until around 50 years ago, here in the US, air conditioning wasn't common, so people would sit outside on their front porches to stay cool. This ‘front porch sitting’ also led to conversations with neighbors who were strolling by.”
#10 My Neighbors' Son Was Hiding From Them So He Could Sneak A Smoke, He Put His Bud Out On A Paper Bark Tree And Set The Tree And My Back Yard On Fire
#11 This Is Why I Can't Wait To Move! The Guy Across The Street Is A Pervert Scumbag Who Blocks Our Entire Street With RVs That He Repairs As A Side Business From His Home
#12 My Neighbor “Allegedly” Refused To Pay The Guy Who Cleared His Backyard. He’ll Be Coming Home To This Gift Left In His Driveway
According to the professor, there was a focus on engagement, and folks wanted to “get to know their neighbors.”
“Kids also had a lot of free time that would be spent outside because there was more freedom to run, to be loud, and to engage with other kids in the neighborhood.”
#13 The Neighbor Had A Dispute This Morning. Resulted In A Gunshot Through Our Bathroom Mirror
#14 Ordered A Bassinet For My Newborn Baby And My Neighbor Decided To Steal It
#15 I Pay $125 A Month To Park In My Parking Spot. I’m 111B. This Jerk Is My Neighbor
Fast-forward to the present day, and things are very different. We may live more modern lives, but we’ve also become more isolated from the rest of the neighborhood. How we socialize and amuse ourselves has profoundly changed, as we increasingly rely on digital communication and entertainment.
#18 Crazy Neighbor Has A List Of People Who Are Not Welcome On His Front Door
“Now, thinking about today, many of us have AC in our homes, front porches have shrunk in size as we have seen the ‘backyard paradise’ expand,” Professor Degges-White said.
“People focus on their patios or decks, creating an ‘oasis’ away from the ‘real world.’ In addition, kids are hooked up to electronics, and the majority of their connecting and socializing with other kids is through electronic means,” she noted.
