同居也過時了：新“獨居時代”即將到來？

According to the market research firm Euromonitor International, the number of people living alone globally is skyrocketing, rising from about 153 million in 1996 to 277 million in 2011 -- a 55 percent increase in 15 years, the Guardian reported。

Sweden has more solo dwellers than anywhere else in the world, with 47 percent of households having one resident; followed by Norway at 40 percent. In Japan, about 30 percent of all households have a single dweller, and the rate is far higher in urban areas. China, India and Brazil also see fast growth in one-person households。

The rise of living alone has been a transformative social experience. It changes the way people understand themselves and their most intimate relationships. It shapes the way people build their cities and develop their economies。

The wealth generated by economic development and the social security provided by modern welfare states have enabled the spike. More people live alone than ever before because they can afford to。

The rise also stems from the cultural change that Emile Durkheim, a founding figure in sociology in the late 19th century, called the cult of the individual。

Another driving force is the communications revolution, which has allowed people to experience the pleasures of social life even when they're living alone。

In addition, young solitaires actively reframe living alone as a mark of distinction and success. They use it as a way to invest time in their personal and professional growth。英國《衛報》報道，歐睿國際信息諮詢公司的市場調查顯示，全球獨居人數增長迅猛，從1996年的1.53億人增至2011年的2.77億人——15年間增長了55%。

瑞典的獨居人數比世界其它國家都多，47%的家庭只有一口人。排在其後的是挪威，比例爲40%。在日本，30%的家庭只有一個人，而該比例在城市地區更高。中國、印度、巴西的單人家庭數也增長迅速。

獨居興起改變社會。它改變了人們理解自我以及親密關係的方式。這種生活方式也影響城市建設和經濟發展的方式。

經濟發展創造的財富以及現代福利國家提供的社會保障使得獨居人數猛增。與過去相比，更多的人選擇獨居，因爲他們有足夠的錢這麼做。

這種增長也來自於文化變遷，19世紀晚期社會學的創始人物埃米爾•涂爾干將其稱之爲個人崇拜。

另外一個驅動力是通訊革命，這使得人們獨居也能享受社會生活的樂趣。

另外，年輕的獨居者積極地將獨居重新定義爲卓越和成功的標誌。獨居成爲他們花時間增進個人和職業成長的方式。