Ka-ching! Money can’t buy happiness, but can it buy LONELINESS?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Deborah Ward and colleagues from the University at Buffalo wondered.
The researchers surveyed almost a thousand people. They asked questions like, how much time did you spend alone in the past week? What about time at work? Time with friends and family?
But that’s not all the pieces of the puzzle! Participants also rated how connected they felt to others and how often they felt lonely. And most importantly, how much they tied their SELF-worth to NET-worth. After gathering all the responses, Ward’s team looked for patterns in the data.
Results? People who built their self-worth on mula were also MORE lonely. They felt they had less control over their free time. Which might explain why they spent less time with loved ones.
It seems chasing pots of gold leads to lonely dinners in the long run. So, remember to weigh your penny against your com-PENNY! Sorry.