(I) The extraordinary rise of solitary living is the biggest
social change that many sociologists neglected to
identify. (II) ‘Going solo’ started out and was most
common among male migrant workers, and it was
usually a short-lived stage on the road to a more
conventional domestic life. (III) A recent study has
revealed that people who live alone make up a great
majority, and they are tied with childless couples as the
most common residential type. (IV) However, there is
little evidence that the rise of living alone is making
more people lonely. (V) It is also more common than the
nuclear family and staying with a roommate.