You have probably noticed that mobile data coverage in the UK is not what it used to be. In fact the UK has the worst connectivity in the G7A group made up of six of the world's major industrialised nations/advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK) plus the EU. All of its current members are democracies. . British users can get 5G about 10% of the time; in India, the figure is 40%.¹

But what if it is actually a good thing if we cannot get online? That is the question some are asking after a survey found the happiest place in Britain is the town of Woodbridge in SuffolkA county on England's east coast. .²

The ready supply of beer from the local Adnams brewery probably helps, but the top reasons cited by residents were access to green spaces (an Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act). sits just alongside the town), local amenities, and a sense of belonging.

These are all factors that defy our modern, very online way of life, with its ease of movement, interconnectedness, and prioritising of the virtual over the local.

Modern human beings are encouraged to refuse to settle in one place, often setting themselves up as "digital nomadsPeople who do not have a permanent office or home and works from different countries, towns, or buildings using the internet." who work remotely from all over the world. They are supposed to reject the locally-produced in favour of the foreign-imported.

And they are supposed to find their community among like-minded people online, not in the neighbours who actually live around them and share their space.

Which is why some think we have got our lives the wrong way round. Rather than seeking happiness in online forums, Instagram stories, and endless travel, we should be putting down roots, taking the time to appreciate what is physically around us.

The Oxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). is just one convert. Its Word of the Year in 2024 is "brain rot": the deterioration of our mental capacities when we consume too much online content designed to be simple and mindless.³

Spending too much time online can actually reduce our ability to enjoy things that require more attention or mindfulness. Some research suggests it can also lower our barriers against fake news and AI-generated false content.⁴

So here are six reasons why local living might be better for you:

1. Get offline. This comes with a whole host of benefits, from reducing anxiety to boosting memory to improving sleep.

2. Appreciate the old. The online world is a carnival of the new. Content is created for a 24-hour feeding frenzy then immediately discarded. Living locally means appreciating things that have been there for decades, centuries, even millennia.

3. Back to nature. Spending time in nature is linked with improved attention, better mood, reduced levels of stress and more empathy for other people.⁵

4. Forgotten knowledge. How many bird species can you identify? Or types of tree? Do you know how to whittleTo make something from a piece of wood by cutting off small, thin pieces.? How to build a raft, and then paddle it? These are all things generations of children grew up knowing. But they take time, patience, and dedication, all things that online living destroys.

5. Diverse company. We bond with people online when they are similar to us: same interests and passions, similar age profile, similar opinions. Living locally means meeting a broader range of people, older and younger, with different experiences and ideas.

6. Give back. Being part of a community forces you to live reciprocally: doing things for others and accepting things done for you.

Is reality the magic ingredient?

Yes: A place like Woodbridge is pleasant because it is just that, a place, rather than a virtual space. We need to reclaim the joys of rootedness, community, and nature.

No: The mild pleasures of a small country town might be good for a short holiday, for the retired, or for the terminally boring, but most of us need more excitement in our lives, and the virtual world has it in buckets.

Or... The ancient philosophers taught us: everything in moderation. It is unwise to be either entirely local or entirely globally connected. We should have a foot in both worlds.

G7 - A group made up of six of the world's major industrialised nations/advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK) plus the EU. All of its current members are democracies.

Suffolk - A county on England's east coast.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - An area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act).

Digital nomads - People who do not have a permanent office or home and works from different countries, towns, or buildings using the internet.

Oxford English Dictionary - The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP).

Whittle - To make something from a piece of wood by cutting off small, thin pieces.