situation

loneliness epidemic

a survey of 142 countries shows that nearly 1 in 4 adults suffer from "severe loneliness", including 24% of people aged 15 and over, 27% of young adults aged 19 to 29, and 17% of those aged 65 and over. the world is facing a growing dangerous aloneness epidemic.

this problem, which the world health organization (who) has declared an urgent global health threat, causes cognitive disorders such as stress, anxiety and dementia, as well as physiological effects. the world's longest-running study, conducted at harvard university for 80 years, shows that when supportive and nurturing friendships are not established, individuals' overall health deteriorates and their lifespans are shortened.

according to the data, before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 20.7% of people reported feeling lonely. this figure reached 58.1% during the first wave of the pandemic. In 2022, 85.8% of people reported struggling with loneliness at least some of the time.

despite the growing use of social media and online dating apps, more and more people are struggling to find meaningful connections.

"loneliness is not the physical absence of other people, but the feeling that you cannot share anything important with anyone." johann hari