Loneliness Has Escalated Into A Social Epidemic

A mawkish pifflefest

Judging by the positive replies here, people seem happy in their voluntary isolation.

The inference in the leading article is that everyone who lives alone is lonely and in need of a friendly word and a cup of tea.
Written by the inhouse writer from The People's Friend probably.
 
XeNoN89 said:
Pretty much this. I prefer being alone than having to deal with other people most of the time!
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As I get older I find I'm happier being alone and having a peaceful life most of the time. Bit of a change from when I had massive social circles and was out almost every night.

I still have a social life but I can't be bothered with new people so much anymore - I hate making smalltalk and I genuinely don't care about the minutiae of other peoples' lives. :p
 
Rifte said:
Why do I like to connect to people on a PC forum? Its in my total control. I can end the conversation as and when I choose to. If I am having an 'off' day I dont need to contribute. The power of invisibility behind a keyboard I suppose (although there are a couple of other contributors here who know me in person).
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Have a Google for Suler's Online Dis-inhibition Effect - I think you'll find it resonates with you pretty well.
 
It's good they are bringing this to people's attention as it is a real issue. Especially for older people, some can go all week with perhaps just 1 or 2 social interactions and they're less likely to use the internet for social media so just watch TV all day.

The idea of striking up a conversation with a stranger now is more of an absurdity and may get you some strange looks, sad really as we all withdraw to our own little safety bubbles.
 
A culture that promotes individualism and narcissism ends up with the destruction of communities and rampant loneliness with an increasing rate of mental health issues.

I'm not surprised.
 
It is a worrying trend and one that is only going to get worse.

Those who say they are happier being alone without having to deal with other peoples problems, I wonder how much of this is brought about because they have never really had to deal with other people face to face due in this modern world we live in. Social media amd technology makes it so easy to "live" without human interaction that many people simply dont have the experience and skills to enable them to cope with human interaction, causing them to avoid it even more and compounding the problem.

I am as guilty as anyone for regularly being on my phone and there are times that I crave time by myself but would never class myself as lonely.

Used to be a problem we just associated with old people who couldnt get out and about. Its sad to think that this problem is now affecting more and more people because the world is a scary place and the easiest thing is to retreat to the safety of their bubble.

/Salsa
 
4K8KW10 said:
Better than staying with internet, go outside and enjoy our wonderful Planet in person. There are so many dozens of beautiful cities and places in nature which are worth visiting. Much better than staying at home and staring at a stupid screen.
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This is a very narrow view of what is right.

Some people are just natural introverts. That doesn't mean they don't socialise personally or professionally, just that it is something that takes energy rather than gives energy.

It's what I've found hardest about having a child and moving in with my partner, I no longer get a couple of hours at night or a weekend where I can just switch off from the "pressure" of having to socialise.

The difference between online and offline is that online you can respond or interact in your own time, or not at all if that's how you feel, not something that you can do in a social face to face situation.
 
wesimmo said:
This is a very narrow view of what is right.

Some people are just natural introverts. That doesn't mean they don't socialise personally or professionally, just that it is something that takes energy rather than gives energy.
.
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This is the biggest thing i notice, Great example was on friday - I was out with a group of mates and their other halves for our annual pre christmas meetup for drinks and dinner. I was fine for about 3 or 4 hours then i was just drained and didn't want to keep on with the small talk any more. I just wanted to go home, watch TV and chill on my own. Being in social situations is so draining for me!


I did manage to last out all night but only by getting hammered!
 
wolfie138 said:
"And it damages our national economy, to the tune of £32bn per annum."

and where exactly is their working-out to show that number attributable to loneliness? whole article reads like tree-hugger excrement. boohoo, people are lonely; if they're also incapable of going out to socialise, or join an internet group or forum etc then that would be the issue to address.
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There seems to have been a study released earlier this year reporting an average figure of £6,000 per person in terms of "health costs and pressure on local services". If you're interested, here is an article about that study. I can't find the full text of the study, but it was published by the LSE.
 
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