Hello everyone. I’ve recently been learning a bit about the topic of third spaces, and I thought I could share some of those things, and some thoughts of my own, with you. This is a topic that I think is very relevant to the Koornbeurs as a concept, and I will discuss how later on. For now though, sit back, grab some tea, and enjoy this little look into my mind.
First, let’s start off with the question ‘What is a third space?’ as it’s not a term that’s very common. The term originates from the book ‘The Great Good Place’ by Ray Oldenburg, where he argues that people have three primary spaces in their lives, the first being the home, the second being the workplace, and the third being a space that is neither. A third space should be a place that has a primarily social function, in spirit if not in name. Examples could be churches, cafes, clubs, libraries, gyms, parks, etc.
Recently I have stopped checking my screen time, the reason for this is because it’s always higher than I would like it to be and I prefer living in denial as opposed to facing my problems. However, I don’t think high screen time is an issue that is unique to me. Lately, a lot of people, especially young people, are trading in social interactions in real life for social interactions online. We spend much more time at home looking at Reddit posts read aloud with subway surfers in the background and much less with other people. However, I think that if I were to ask a bunch of people if they preferred hanging out with friends or being on their phones at home, most people would still say that they would rather be with friends, myself included. This raises the question: Why aren’t we doing that?
The answer is of course that young people are lazy. Back in my day I would meet up with my friends every day and go to the local cafe where I could drink beer for 50 cents at 16 years old, and then go to my local youth club to chat up women and look suave.
The only thing is, that’s not possible anymore for teenagers. In my building, there are a bunch of posters everywhere saying ‘Kick out hangjongeren! Call 112!’ (Hangjongeren doesn’t have a one-to-one English translation, it means something like loitering youth).
So where are teenagers supposed to go? They can’t go to a bar since they aren’t allowed in, they can’t go to a cafe since they can’t afford a 7 euro drink, they definitely can’t stay home where their parents and siblings are, and they apparently aren’t allowed in my building.
The core of the issue ends up being the loss of third spaces. With everything becoming more and more expensive, people just can’t afford to have a third space anymore. Drinks are expensive, gym memberships are expensive, and any places that had a function for building community are gone because they can’t make a profit. There are no community centers or youth clubs, and therefore there is no community. (Small sidenote that this does leave parks and libraries, but you have to be quiet in libraries which is not ideal as a teenager, and hanging out in parks is super weather dependent)
This means that any community or social circle that you do build and later maintain is highly individual. It is either your personal friend group that you meet up with at your house, or it is the sphere of people you follow online. Both of these groups are dependent on your presence, and therefore highly individual. This also means that you are very limited in any interaction you have with worldviews outside of your own. If in a larger social sphere you were to say something like ‘Maybe trans people are evil’, the majority of people would immediately shut you down. Within a small group or a social media experience, the chance of creating an echo chamber for these ideas is much higher. Also, if someone online has an opposing view to your own, you can either block them or not interact.
This individualization and customization of social circles I believe is also why most countries in Europe right now are becoming more and more right-wing. It’s much easier to not sympathize with people who are different from you if you never have to interact with them in a social setting. A staple of left-ness has always been empathy, and empathy is promoted by interacting with people less fortunate than you, who are often outside your personal circle.
Another effect of the loss of third spaces is that people just get sad. A lot of studies and philosophies about happiness find that feeling useful to your community is a very prevalent source for finding meaning, and finding meaning is often a first step to finding happiness. Humans are pack animals, and we are fundamentally inclined to form and maintain communities. If this is obstructed by there not being any opportunity to create community, we get very lonely, and as anyone who has ever been lonely knows: it’s the worst.
The more I learn about this topic, the more I appreciate the Koornbeurs for being an accessible place for young people to build community. With loneliness becoming a larger issue every year, especially after COVID-19 nuked all our social lives, third spaces need to be recognized for how important they are not only for the development of people but also for their happiness and mental health. A person cannot live at home and at work alone, a person needs a Koornbeurs.