{"id":103736,"date":"2023-05-31T07:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T11:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=103736"},"modified":"2023-05-31T09:12:41","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T13:12:41","slug":"disadvantages-of-urban-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/disadvantages-of-urban-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Disadvantages of Urban Life: How to Reclaim Nature’s Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do city sounds and the sight of strangers affect people? How is rain a mood booster?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern cities offer us many benefits. But, urban environments have removed us from the discomforts of the natural world that we belong to, and this has a variety of harmful consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn Michael Easter\u2019s research on the disadvantages of urban life and the benefits of getting back to nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Disadvantages of Urban Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Easter, our pull to the city is a natural result of our evolutionary instincts to live in an environment that\u2019s rich with survival resources and mating opportunities. However, urban comforts remove us from the natural environment we started in. The disadvantages of urban life include a swath of health issues and the absence of many psychological and physical benefits. Easter references research showing that people living in cities are 21% more likely to suffer from anxiety and 39% more likely to have depression than people living in rural areas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Another drive to the city is the human instinct to immerse ourselves in new environments and learn<\/a>. If you live in the city for these reasons, you may be what experts call an urban culturalist. Urban culturalists are typically more satisfied with urban living than urban materialists (those who seek the wealth and luxury often found in cities. This is because cultural pleasures are shown to consistently improve happiness, whereas material pursuits are susceptible to hedonic adaptation<\/a>, which is the theory that the more material goods you have, the more you want. This happens because each material gain widens the gap between your desires and possessions, which makes you increasingly dissatisfied.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easter says high population density and noise contribute to chronic mental health issues and unhappiness<\/strong>. He references research showing that, for most of human history, our ancestors lived in groups of about 150 people or fewer. This is called Dunbar\u2019s number<\/em><\/a>, after the anthropologist Robin Dunbar who discovered this population sweet spot. According to him, a group of 150 people is big enough to adequately protect itself, gather resources, and share. However, when communities exceed this number, it becomes difficult to maintain close relationships<\/a> and cooperate. Anthropologists argue that, even today, our brains are programmed to prefer a lower population density, and, when we\u2019re surrounded by unfamiliar faces in urban environments, this stresses us out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Although Dunbar\u2019s Number is frequently cited and even implemented as a model by companies for office sizes, recent research has shown that the size of our social networks is much more variable<\/a>. Dunbar based his limit of 150 relationships on primate brain science and group behavior<\/a>. However, updates on primate research reveal that primates base their group sizes on very different needs than humans do, such as for defense against certain predators that we don\u2019t have. Additionally, studies show that human social groups range widely, from two people up to 520. Researchers explain that this is because our social groups aren\u2019t limited to our genetic hardwiring, but they\u2019re instead influenced by cultural evolution<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with population density, city soundscapes cause us stress<\/strong>, which can lead to a variety of illnesses, such as depression and heart problems. Easter explains that this is because humans started out in natural environments that were relatively quiet most of the time. Any loud noises in nature typically indicate danger (for example, a tree limb cracking above your head or a bear growling at you). So, we register the constant commotion of cities as threatening, which translates to chronic stress<\/a> reactions that have several damaging effects on our well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Urban noise has also been shown to have a negative impact on children\u2019s ability to learn language<\/a>. For example, one study found that children exposed to loud urban noises had more difficulty differentiating between similar-sounding words, mastering new words, and reading. In response to our biological need for a quieter environment, some cities have implemented sound-reducing structures, such as sound barriers to reduce highway and railway noise, thicker insulation in buildings to absorb more noise, and adjustments in airplane flight paths to prevent intrusions from above.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort Remedy: Get Out in Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spending time outside<\/a> counters the costly comforts of city living. According to Easter, after only 15 minutes in nature, feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger are reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few of Easter\u2019s tips to spend quality time in nature<\/a> on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n