Loneliness: America's Invisible Epidemic

"Long before the pandemic of 2020 began, the former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy had already declared an epidemic of loneliness in our nation. The impact of loneliness affects our mental and physical health and increases our mortality risk. So this is not anything new. We saw the signs, but we as a society have failed to do anything about it. Perhaps it's an impossible task to put toothpaste back in the tube."

"There are many reasons for this epidemic: The decline of community structures and community-based activities, shifts in how people work and live (so many of us work from home now), the increased usage of technology, social media, and smartphones, and the ever-present aura of stigma. Loneliness is often perceived as a weakness or a personal failing, which discourages people from opening up and talking about it."

"Many clients in my private practice report increased anxiety when they excessively swipe and scroll throughout the day. What is especially counterintuitive is the doomscrolling, which causes increased depression, irritability, a sense of helplessness, insomnia, and sedentary behavior. Adolescents are especially prone to loneliness. However, we must note that adolescent and teen mental health problems rarely stem from a single cause."

Loneliness significantly harms mental and physical health and raises mortality risk. Multiple societal shifts contribute, including the decline of community structures, changes in work and living patterns, and widespread use of technology, social media, and smartphones. Stigma and a pervasive sense of world-weary uncertainty discourage open discussion, promoting withdrawal into devices. Excessive swiping and doomscrolling increase anxiety, depression, irritability, helplessness, insomnia, and sedentary behavior. Adolescents face heightened vulnerability, and teen mental health problems rarely stem from a single cause. Practicing news hygiene and limiting saturation of information can help mitigate some negative effects.

Read at Psychology Today