In fact, one study of 3 Canadian towns found that the introduction of TV in the area was accompanied by lowered participation in community events among people of all ages. Lessened contact with others may contribute to this trend, but negative content on TV news, police shows, and thrillers likely plays a role as well. Links between TV viewing and aggression in children may mean that heavy TV viewers grow up to be less socially adept, and may avoid spending time with others. Seen in this broader context, Putnam's analysis suggests that the decline in voting behavior is just one small piece of a decades-long shift in the relative import of the private vs. public aspects of American life. Neighbors isolated from each other in their private homes come to distrust those around them, undermining their sense of security and community.
Civic engagement can reverse that trend.
Whether involvement be political, recreational, service, educational, or religious, our citizens need to engage with those around them to rediscover the satisfaction of community connection. Political parties and candidates who wonder where their supporters went would benefit by seeing the link between political trends and social disengagement in general. Rather than focusing on finding the right candidate or cleaning up campaign financing to win back the American voter, political forces should join with other community organizations in an all-out effort to draw people out of their homes and into community life.