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THE DEATH OF THE GOOD GUEST
Hosting used to be a normal part of American social life. Now it’s becoming a lost art.
In 1975, 42% of Americans said they hosted friends or family in their homes at least once a month. Today, that number is just 12%, according to data cited by The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson.
Thompson offers a handful of explanations for “why Americans stopped hosting dinner parties”: people are busier, more women are in the workforce, parents spend more time with their kids, friendship networks are shrinking, and screens have made staying home alone easier and more entertaining than ever.
All of that is probably true.
But there’s another reason people are hosting less that I think Thompson is missing.
A lot of people have forgotten how to be good guests.