A recent study by two women professors of psychology in Kolkata says that the lack of communication between passengers these days in public transport — with each surfing their own phones or maintaining personal privacy — is having an impact on mental health.
Auditi Pramanik and Soma Saha, who are assistant professors at the Amity University in the city, and who conducted the study over the period of a year, found that co-passengers — who always shared not just physical space but also conversations, experiences, and even brief friendships — were now becoming isolated within their own bubbles due to personalised entertainment, noise-cancelling headphones, and increasing emphasis on individual privacy.
“At its core, this shift is emblematic of a broader trend towards individualism and the prioritization of personal space. While there’s a notable upside to this shift, such as the comfort and perceived safety in maintaining one’s personal space, the psychological downsides are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore,” the study says.
