People are choosing to spend less time than ever in the presence of other people, whether in social events, one-on-one meetups or eating out. The latest cover story in The Atlantic explores some of the psychological and social implications of that trend. And a recent study out of Oregon State University goes deep into how solitude is defined and experienced — and the range of benefits that different kinds of solitude seem to offer. 

If you go out to eat alone, but are around other people, that’s one kind of solitude. Another would be going out alone on a nature trail where you don’t see another soul. Whether you have your phone on you or not would be another factor that would influence the kind of solitude you experience. 

Morgan Quinn Ross is an assistant professor of liberal arts at OSU and recently published a paper about this spectrum. He joins us to tell us more.