Today, in many countries, people in big cities live either alone or in small family units, rather than a large, extended family groups. Is it a positive or negative development? v.2

These days, in some parts of the world, living alone or in small units are becoming more increasingly than staying in extended families. This trend has both positive and negative development. Living alone is positive in two aspects. The major advantage from this trend is that people may become more independent and self-reliant that can facilitate the development of personal skills. For instance, they can learn how to solve severe problems by themselves in life. Another benefit is that individuals may have total control of their life. When people live independently, they are able to arrange their daily schedule more flexible than staying with family members or housemates. For example, it can be seen that the working, eating and recreational schedules of people living alone depends on their own decision without over-reliance on other members in their household. However, several drawbacks of living alone can be identified. To begin with, one unfavorable aspect is that people may experience the feeling of loneliness. In fact, the majority of people always face with heavy pleasure and sadness in their life on a daily basis. If they could have direct communication with other individuals in family dinners, people would feel much more supported and happily in comparison to an independent life. Furthermore, another downside could be lack of help when they are in need. A prime example of this is when they may get health problems that occurred unexpectedly at mid-nights, their health status could be negatively affected, or could even lead to the loss of their life without other housemates. In conclusion, self-reliance and total control in life are the most significant positives relating to living alone or in small units. However, this trend also has severe drawbacks, including the sense of loneliness and lack of help in need.