We live in a time of unparalleled interaction, communicating instantly with people across the world, with intimate insight into other peopleās lives. Yet we feel increasingly disconnected from ourselves, each other and the world. In the midst of so much connectivity, we are living through an epidemic of loneliness and social isolation.
āLonelinessā and āsocial isolationā are different. Loneliness is a subjective, self-reported measure of inner experience, while social isolation is quantifiable: a measure of someoneās participation in collective activity. Their effects, though, correlate, with loneliness generally considered more dangerous to health. Both are manifestations of a deeper malaise: disconnectedness.
On a number of separate assessments, about 50 per cent of Americans report being lonely. A report by the US Surgeon General in 2023 had an eye-catching statistic: lacking social connection is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The report listed specific health areas affected by disconnectedness, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, anxiety/depression, suppressed immune response and impaired cognitive function (including increased likelihood of dementia). Disconnectedness can literally be lethal.
What we need to decrease the number of loneliness and social isolation?
How we can overcome loneliness and social isolation?
MBH/AB