Culture
In a Lonely City, This Group Is Here to Listen
Urban Confessional lends a helping ear to strangers on the street.
Even amid the bustling crowds and vibrant soundscape, life in a city can feel quite lonely. Past research has discovered a link between urban dwelling, poor mental health, and feelings of isolation, stress, and anxiety. Residents can easily be swept up in the hurried lifestyle that has come to characterize urban living.
When the actor Vivi Devereaux moved to Los Angeles a year ago from South Africa, he encountered a stark cultural difference. “This city is full of cynics,” he says. “Over here, people are suspect of something that could be free, that could be given for the sake of being given.”