Sides of home: Together or apart

The Sides of home: Did you feel part of your community in 2021?

People

The IKEA Life at Home Report 2021 reveals that a whopping 62% of people felt better from a sense of belonging in their neighbourhood. But not everyone was creating bonds in houses and their immediate environment.

Many discovered the benefits of online friendships, used Zoom to stay in touch with family, or found themselves sharing their interests with people on the other side of a screen.

Neighbours And Friends For Life

Abdul, 25, lives with relatives in Camden, London. He manages a local men’s football team.

“We wanted to create a safe space for other people and ourselves. I got my own football community with a few friends. We give training sessions to young people, and we have a men’s team, which I manage. The idea is to unite everyone, and it’s open for everyone. “

I Needed Connection To The World

Oscar, 22, lives in Shanghai, China. He is a student at Newcastle University in the UK, but due to the pandemic he has been studying remotely.

“My home would often feel like a prison because I wouldn’t see anyone. I missed seeing different people even through the window, but what I see now is just a very tall building on the opposite side. Now, no one is even walking on the road and the little green spaces are empty.”