#social-isolation

#social-isolation

"Having just finished my addictions, I had difficulty interacting with people and making social connections," Gilbert said during a recent interview. "The only lifestyle I knew was going to bars, just drinking. I get emotional remembering I was very lonely at the time." Gilbert then started coming to Openhouse and connected with Andrew, a young volunteer in our Friendly Visitor Program where volunteers of all ages are paired with LGBTQ+ older adults for social connection and companionship.

One minor but arresting fact of U.S. history is the huge amount of alcohol the average American consumed in 1830: 7.1 undiluted gallons a year, the equivalent of four shots of 80-proof whiskey every day. Assuming some children wimped out after the first drink, this statistic suggests that large numbers of Jacksonian-era adults were rolling eight belts deep seven days a week, with all the attendant implications for social and political life.

I love every quiet corner of home: my armchair, angled for a perfect view of bird goings-on and bleak skies outside; my marshmallowy bed; the sofa, stacked with blankets; the kitchen (I don't cook, but it's where snacks live). What could be nicer than sinking into the stifling embrace of multiple heated throws as a jacket potato crisps up in the oven and I succumb to a smorgasbord of good winter telly?

Social isolation has been rising in the United States for the past two decades, which was only exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. This has long been a growing public health concern (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023). The strength of social connection has been shown to be a strong short- and long-term predictor of mental and physical health (OSG, 2023).

"In my opinion, it's because the natural, human interaction that used to be part of daily life is no longer there. For example, growing up, my neighborhood was FULL of kids who all played outside. Riding their bikes, running around, inevitably meeting other kids, and navigating those interactions. There was no internet, no phones - just human interaction. A lot is learned through that."

It's a phenomenon tied to the prevalence of text-based apps in dating. Recent surveys show that one in fiveadults under 30 met their partner on a dating app like Tinder or Hinge, and more than half are using dating apps. For years, app-based dating has been regarded as a profoundly alienating experience, a paradigm shift which coincides with a rapid rise in social isolation and loneliness.

Earlier this year, a CNN story featured a Japanese prison that looked more like a nursing home. The story was striking: Some older adults in Japan are so lonely that they intentionally commit minor crimes to gain access to regular meals, healthcare, and companionship behind bars. This poignant example is not an anomaly. It signals a profound global challenge: how societies care for an aging population.

Earlier this year, I could typically be found in my college apartment in Syracuse, New York. The space may not have been ideal, with its cracking plaster and creaking staircase, but when the lease came to an end, my roommate and I weren't ready to say goodbye. Our apartment had been the home of weekly wine nights, tarot readings, and movie screenings.

According to a piece by The Guardian, Bupa surveyed 8,000 workers on their feelings toward hybrid work and office responsibilities earlier this year. Gen Z's apparent drive for offices and traditional desks appears to be fuelled by an innate loneliness, with 38% saying they feel 'socially isolated' due to their work setup. This is notably more than their older peers.

We got here and immediately started our new jobs, the kids entered school, and along the way, we realized we weren't making very many connections.

Shinmori struggles with memory but fondly recalls teaching children games and making crafts. He illustrates his memory issues as being as small as his fingertip.

Social platform startup 222 uses AI to engineer chance encounters among members to combat social isolation, leveraging machine learning to connect people meaningfully.

Hearing loss affects 42% of people over the age of 50, increasing to 71% of people over 70, highlighting the urgent need for proactive ear care.

When people can stay in their own homes, that has a positive impact on their happiness, self-esteem and quality of life.

The complexities of our contemporary social fabric reveal a paradox: while we are the most age-diverse society, we are also profoundly age-segregated by institutions and policies.

The original study's alarming trends largely disappeared when properly graphed, revealing that the increase in time spent alone was only 24 minutes per day over 17 years.