ESTUARY (N): An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean
This project takes the idea of an estuary and applies it to a hospitality space with the hopes of promoting human engagement and therefore lowering the amount of people that are effected by the loneliness epidemic.
Estuary was born from extensive research into human connection and the growing epidemic of loneliness. During this time, I conducted a survey among adults, revealing that 59% of participants reported feeling lonely within the past five years. This is especially concerning as loneliness has been linked to a 50% increase in premature death. In exploring this, I delved into the nature of loneliness itself, which is defined as the distress or discomfort one experiences when there is a gap between desired and actual social connection.
I then investigated the root causes of this widespread issue, which stem from a lack of social contact, low self-esteem, major life changes, mental health struggles, and financial challenges. The problem has been exacerbated by the rise of technology, social media, rapid social changes, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a dramatic 70% reduction in face-to-face interactions. Further research revealed that the 18-25 age group (Gen Z) is most affected by this loneliness epidemic, with 73% of them reporting feelings of loneliness, whether sometimes or always.
Interestingly, this generation also shares a common pattern of frequent travel, taking approximately three leisure trips a year. Given that 64% of adult Americans stay in hotels while traveling, I recognized the hospitality industry as a prime opportunity to address the loneliness epidemic. With 50% of Americans now reporting feelings of loneliness and the hospitality industry expected to grow to 63.6%, this sector is an ideal space to target those in need of meaningful human connection.
The below diagram is the research question that I used to propel my project and it was derived from the extensive amount of research I did on the topic.
