Co-founder: “Once you leave your 20s, you feel more isolated from society.”
A social club focused on friendship… Work, class, and sports space
1 month membership fee of $200… 2,000 people waiting for new branch
A startup in California, USA, has launched a social club to solve the problem of loneliness and isolation that has worsened since the pandemic.
According to the British Guardian on the 21st (local time), Groundfloor is not exclusive, unlike other members-only clubs, and targets people who want a community. The company began operations in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, and plans to open a branch in Los Angeles soon.
Groundfloor co-founder Jermaine Izzy, a London, England native currently living in the Bay Area, said that as a club member, you can use work spaces such as conference rooms and phone booths, as well as a weight room, meditation classes, and spaces for socializing. This space also hosts member-led interest-related activities and craft workshops.
Lee Ji-e said that Ground Floor is a space for adults over 30 years old, similar to an ‘after school’ for children.
“There is always a problem that arises when you reach this age,” he said. “One by one, you begin to lose the institutions that formed your community, such as places of worship, universities, offices, and schools. “The moment you leave your 20s, you feel as if you are isolated from society,” he said.
Ground Floor does not ask applicants what their job is. Regarding the application process, Lee Ji-e said, “We are looking for people who understand that it takes effort to create a community,” and added, “It ends with a phone call with the team in charge of it.” Co-founder Jamie Sneddon told the Los Angeles Times that 80% of applicants were accepted.
The club has three branches in the San Francisco Bay Area and has nearly 1,000 members.
Additionally, 2,000 people are already on the membership waiting list for the soon-to-open Ground Floor near Echo Park in Los Angeles.
The Guardian reported that these figures show the reality that more and more people are experiencing loneliness, considering the membership fee of $200 (about 260,000 won) per month.
According to the 2020 census data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in June, more than a quarter (27.6%) of American households consist of one-person households, a three-fold increase from 7.7% in 1940.
In an expert contribution to the New York Times last April, Dr. Vivek Murthy, an American surgeon, said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, about half of American adults were reported to have experienced loneliness. He also said that loneliness and isolation have a devastating impact on mental, physical and social health.
Lonely people have twice the risk of depression compared to those who are not lonely, and have a much higher risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and premature death.
Dr. Murthy argued that rebuilding social connections should be a top public health priority in the United States. To achieve this, individuals, communities, and institutions must move in a direction that prioritizes connections and healthy relationships between people.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.