After the Mall: Can We Build a New Third Place?
It's hard for Zoomers to believe, but the mall was once not only the preferred place to shop, its importance went beyond a mere retail hub. The mall served as a gathering spot where people connected, interacted, and shared their lives beyond their homes and workplaces.Malls, which began in the 1950s and reached their peak in the 1980s, were central to the social and cultural life of many towns. But their dominance declined over time. To be sure, big box stores like Walmart and Best Buy undercut malls' sales in the 1990s, and the rise of e-commerce took another bite out of their profits. But meatspace remained most people's favorite plac to shop well into the aughts. In reality it was the sharp drop in social trust driven by rapid demographic changes that drove shoppers away from malls. The 2008 crash finished off many struggling malls, leaving behind hollow shells of what had been thriving centers of socioeconomic activity.
This phenomenon, known as Dead Mall Syndrome, reflects deeper changes in both economics and culture. More than just a shift in shopping habits, the decline of malls highlights a broader loss of connection in modern American life.Sociologist Ray Oldenburg described the Third Place as a setting separate from home and work where people could meet and build relationships. For decades, malls fulfilled this role. They were destinations for more than shopping—they were where people spent time together, ran into acquaintances, and forged friendships.In the 1980s and 1990s, malls had something for nearly everyone. In my hometown, the local mall had two bookstores, an arcade, a two-story pizzeria, and multiple music shops. These attractions weren’t just conveniences; they encouraged interaction. Whether you were there to browse the latest video game releases or grab an Orange Julius, you were likely to run into friends or strike up a conversation with a friendly clerk.That's not to say it was all sunshine and roses. Malls replaced traditional meeting places like churches and men's clubs in many American towns. While they were a downgrade, it’s undeniable that malls played an important role in fostering social bonds through the last half of the 20th century.Related: The Last of the Third PlacesThe collapse of malls wasn’t just caused by economic factors; generational changes also contributed. By the early aughts, malls began targeting narrower demographics. Stores that catered to teenage boys or young men disappeared, replaced by businesses aimed at specific groups like suburban moms or fashion-focused teens. The decline of arcades—once a huge draw for young men—further accelerated this trend as online gaming replaced in-person gaming.And though there were attempts to revitalize malls, they often failed to overcome these economic and cultural forces. In my city, a corporate chain arcade opened during the first Trump term, only to be plagued by gang activity from day one and ultimately close during the Corona-chan crackdown.Related: Gen Y and the Pre-Internet AgeAs mentioned above, younger generations often struggle to understand Xers' and Ys' obsession with malls. For those of us who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, malls weren’t just places to shop—they were where we socialized and got our first jobs. They provided a sense of connection that’s hard to replicate in today’s digital world.Here's where the digital tech that helped kill the mall can give Zoomers and Alphas a vision of what it was like in its heyday. Watch this footage taken during the 1996 Christmas shopping season at a typical American mall:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLVprm_3D84Contrast the America captured in that footage with today. Shopping is now a solitary task conducted online. Friendships are relegated to apps and social media platforms, where interactions are parasocial when they're not fleeting and impersonal. The decline of malls reflects a broader trend of disconnection in modern life.So the question arises: After the mall, can we build a new Third Place?As physical gathering spots vanish, so do opportunities for people to interact in meaningful ways. What's clear is that the internet cannot match the depth of relationships built through in-person connections. Without intentional efforts to create places for people to gather, the isolation and fragmentation that define modern society will only worsen.To counter this depersonalization, new Third Places need to emerge—whether revitalized town centers, public venues, or small, activity-centered clubs. The growth of alternatives to corporate tabletop RPGs and young men forming fitness groups may signal emerging substitutes. Anecdotal reports of men seeking now-scarce fellowship by returning to church are also hopeful signs.As it stands, American society has a long way to go before we can recapture something like the cultural cohesion of the 90s, or even the early aughts. But as history shows, where there's a social will, thre's a way.
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