In Mina Le’s video essay, “third places, stanley cup mania, and the epidemic of loneliness”, she discusses isolation, loneliness, friendship, and community in our modern, technological age. Le dedicates a large portion of the video to the “third place”. First described in the 1980s by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg, a third place is a space for informal, free social interaction, essential to democracy. Exemplified most clearly by the coffeehouse, a third place is neutral ground where friends and neighbours are regulars, but strangers are just as welcome. Third places are inexpensive, unstructured, and local. Conversation is the main activity. In this video, Le speaks specifically to the American condition, where third places have all but disappeared. Although the situation isn’t quite the same in Europe, the digital space has largely replaced the physical third place, and we still don’t yet know what the consequences of that might be. Le ends the video by discussing the importance of communities and in-person friendships/relationships. She notes that, over the phone, we completely miss the facial cues from others’ expressions. We feel less of a communal responsibility, and we lose the culture of generosity without expectation of reciprocation or compensation.
Citations
Le, Mina. “Third Places, Stanley Cup Mania, and the Epidemic of Loneliness.” YouTube, January 22, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqjpuUJQFcM&t=1632s.
Oldenburg, Ray, and Karen Christensen. “Third Places, True Citizen Spaces.” The UNESCO Courier,
March 22, 2023. https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/third-places-true-citizen-spaces.
the third place
