The planet Earth just celebrated its entry into the year 2020, and while billions of people across the globe are excited and more than ready to turn a new page and re-build a new, bigger, better life for themselves and their families, most, if not all, are failing to recognize a silent epidemic that has swiftly made its way into our society. Perhaps many will interpret this to be the Opioid Epidemic, which indeed has ravaged all too many communities across the United States. As a matter of fact, a few years ago I also wrote about its devastating effects in my local community (Opioid Abuse in Tampa Bay) and the lack of sufficient beds to accommodate the ever growing list of individuals who have ensnared by it. This post however is referencing something far more profound and troublesome that affects all of us, our families, parents, spouses, children, friends and affiliates. I’m referring to the Loneliness Epidemic.

Constantly looking to connect, yet feeling more alone than ever

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

(The Beatles – Eleonor Rugby)

The Loneliness Epidemic is a topic everybody tries to avoid.  Just mentioning its existence produces an uncomfortable, crawling, unsettling feeling that something deeply wrong must have happened to those  who acknowledge its presence, feel its effects and  dare to initiate a conversation about it. Yet, it is here, it is real and worse yet, it does not seem to be going anywhere! On the contrary, it appears it will be staying with us for a while… One way to describe it is as an unwelcomed relative that somehow, out of the blue showed up in our homes and does not exhibit any sings of departure. And just as the host who doesn’t want to be perceived as rude for fear it will displease the family, we’re also simply pretending that if we don’t talk about it, it will suddenly disappear. At the same time however, its presence is overwhelming our coping skills and its bringing our mood down. One of the most profound symptoms is isolation from others. The HRSA.gov site reports that “Lacking social connection carries a risk that is comparable, and in many cases, exceeds that of other well-accepted risk factors, including smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, obesity, physical inactivity, and air pollution”. A research conducted and shared by the Journal of Clinical Oncology makes the conclusions that there’s a “surprising association between loneliness and mortality risk after partialling out the impact of, especially, depression.”

Disconnected and Alone

So why are we becoming more isolated and lonely?

The last 10-15 years have shown an unprecedented progress toward social media networking and connectedness. Contrary to the expectations however, we feel more disconnected from our friends, families and peers than ever before. Shouldn’t it be the opposite? I’ve spoken on this topic in the past, and I’ll mention this again: The need to share every aspect of one’s life – the good and the bad –  in addition to the instant gratification one gets when a post is liked by others, can have negative consequences on peoples’ lives possibly even altering thought perceptions and behavior patterns. Social media creates a superficial level of closeness. Nowadays it appears that  digital form of communication takes precedence over our real-life relationships and interactions.No wonder we’re experiencing loneliness – if we can connect within seconds with people across the Globe via a direct or private message, but don’t have a friend to go have a cup of coffee or grab lunch with we become more and more lonely, isolated and unhappy. We’re investing in a superficial and distanced based rather than intimate and in-person level  of communication.

How to conquer the Loneliness Epidemic?