Ugh, Mitch. I relate to your experience, and it's heartbreaking.

A research role required meeting low-income, digitally illiterate people in their homes to collect living cost data. The demographic was mainly 65+ and starved of social interaction.

They offered cakes, meals, and gifts to persuade me to stay longer than our dedicated hour, and their loneliness still breaks my heart.

A participant told me she'd rather be in jail than alone in her home because at least she'd have people to talk to and eat dinner with.

We are too busy to live when we're producing for the economy and too lonely to exist when we're no longer productive. What a sad existence.