Divided society

Stan Grodynski (Letters, 7 January) raises an interesting point: extended families are increasingly geographically separated. This can leave the elderly unsupported and lonely, young families missing invaluable grandparental child care, and teenagers lacking wise mentors outside their immediate family.

More generally, a high-mobility society weakens feelings of loyalty and investment in a community, disrupts friendships and undermines support networks. The ensuing excessive travelling to see friends and family is expensive and environmentally damaging.

We go down this route because we overvalue careers and undervalue relationships. Companies should consider carefully the hidden costs of moving families around the country to maximise organisational efficiency. If universities used standardised assessment procedures it would take some of the emphasis off "where you went" and on to "what you got", reducing the pull of distant institutions. Ultimately, families and individuals must make their own choices, but it is a shame when a youthful desire to spread wings leads to decades of frustrating separation.

RICHARD LUCAS

Cowan Road

Edinburgh