Rise in loneliness may be a myth

It has become conventional wisdom that society is suffering from an epidemic of loneliness. But the research is mixed. While some data suggests that loneliness is prevalent, it is unclear if it is any worse than in the past. Some data indicate that loneliness has decreased. By jumping to a wrong conclusion, society risks implementing interventions that don't work or fail to address underlying causes.

Researchers now know that prolonged loneliness correlates with a range of health problems. Lonely people are at greater risk of stroke, diabetes, dementia, heart disease and arthritis. ey are more likely to su er from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, alcoholism and sleep deprivation. ere’s no doubt that loneliness is a problem, one that is sadly prevalent and difcult to solve. In Ireland an estimated 400,000 are considered lonely, according to the advocacy group Alone.

But the idea that loneliness has exploded into a modernday epidemic may be overblown, and framing it in such perilous terms may have unintended consequences.

Loneliness is a state of mind arising from a discrepancy between the social relationships a person experiences and those they desire and this subjective nature makes it challenging to study. A person can look lonely in a café corner while being content to daydream alone. Conversely, someone can be the life of the party while feeling disconnected from the crowd basking in their presence. e global Jo Cox Loneliness report found that nine million adults in the UK often or always feel lonely. Onethird of Chinese older adults report su ering from loneliness. And research compiled by Our World in Data show most older Europeans feel lonely at least some of the time — from a relatively low 25% of adults in Denmark to a striking 62% in Greece.

More than 40% of all households in Scandinavian nations; more than 30% in France, Germany, and England; and more than 25% in Russia, Canada, Japan, and the US. At the same time, friendships appear to be on the decline.

According to the 2021 American Perspectives survey, many people today say they have fewer close friends than they did in the 1990s. Roughly one-tenth report they have no friends at all.