Third Spaces Vanish Across the US
Lyla Kelly, copy editor
The death of third spaces has grown into a significant challenge that continues to shape our culture and society. Third spaces are places outside the home or workplace that allow for socialization and connection. While third spaces, such as arcades, malls, music stores, libraries and cafes used to rule as popular alternative locations for young people, most have disappeared from communities in recent years.
Globalization and the internet have taken direct, face-to-face interactions and hid them behind a screen. Communities have formed on all corners of social media, becoming sanctuaries for all demographics. Instead of leaving houses for connections, many people rely on technology to facilitate social interaction. With this combination of diminished groups of disinterested patrons, and a dying need for physical media, third spaces have shut their doors.
While the lack of third spaces affects all ages, there is an especially awkward gap for teenagers and young people. Adults over the age of 21 – in some rare cases, over the age of 25 – are permitted into clubs, bars and other social events that foster a unique distinction between the home and the workplace. Yet, young people face the challenge of finding their equivalent. The culture surrounding malls, music stores and arcades have been dying in recent years, with shopping transitioning online. A few years ago, malls would be seen crowded in afternoons, but now they are collecting dust. For example, North Point Mall was thriving before the COVID-19 pandemic, but now sees very little patrons, and is being renovated into a mixed-use community center. Teenagers have nowhere to go to spend their time often resorting in wandering, going on drives or spending money on activities that used to be ten times less expensive.
When everything costs money, especially with prices that continue to rise, teenagers who have limited sources of income have fewer social spaces than adults who have disposable income. For example, movie theater tickets and concessions can cost up to $40 per person. Shopping malls and plazas, often the last remaining third spaces in certain communities, cater to more money being spent, whether intentional or not. Similarly, analogue media stores – such as record and vinyl shops, arcades and video stores – have seen a decrease in patrons as technology takes over. First, for the matter of convenience, but as prices increase physical media, there is a financial gain from merely downloading a playlist on Spotify rather than spending $45 on a record. Not only is it unrealistic for teenagers to afford expensive items, but in some extreme cases, businesses price out young people to keep them from entering their establishments. Those instances begin the anti-teenager mindset that has taken over the U.S.
