No matter who you are, you can’t thrive without genuine social connections. Relationships are a core part of the human experience, and you can’t change that we’re all social beings. However, loneliness is a sprawling problem, and it has massive adverse effects on people’s physical, mental, and emotional health. According to Gallup, daily loneliness affects one-fifth of all people living in the United States.
One anonymous internet user recently went viral online after sharing their somewhat controversial thoughts on how to solve the male loneliness epidemic, which they call a “self-pitying problem.” Scroll down for their take on this social issue, about what connections they think are worthwhile, and read how the internet reacted to them. The responses were quite mixed, with plenty of supporters, as well as lots of critics.
Loneliness is a major problem that affects many people around the world
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One anonymous internet user started an intense conversation about male loneliness by suggesting that men need to change their approach
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
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A fifth of Americans and over a fifth of people around the world struggle with daily loneliness
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
As per Gallup, 20% of American adults reported feeling loneliness “a lot of the day yesterday.” This is higher than the 17% to 18% range that was seen after the last few quarters but still lower than the 25% rate during the pandemic.
Globally, around 23% (more than a fifth) of people have felt loneliness on a similar level.
It’s estimated that around 52 million Americans struggle with loneliness in some shape or form. According to Gallup, daily loneliness in the United States is linked to current life satisfaction and anticipated life satisfaction in five years.
“Those experiencing daily loneliness are nearly five times as likely as those who do not report daily loneliness to rate their current life poorly.”
Furthermore, lonely adults are 23% less likely to be optimistic about their future selves compared to people who aren’t lonely.
There are three main factors that are linked to a person’s reduced probability of experiencing loneliness.
These are liking what you do every day, your friends and family giving you positive energy every day, and feeling active and productive every day in the last week.
In other words, from a well-being perspective, it’s important to like what you do at work or during your spare time. It’s also vital to be surrounded by positive people who empower you rather than drain you. And it’s essential that you stay active and take care of your health.
Human beings need to be social to stay healthy. Loneliness impacts health, happiness, and longevity
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Verywell Mind warns that loneliness can lead to altered brain function, Alzheimer’s disease progression, antisocial behavior, cardiovascular disease, decreased memory, depression, increased stress levels, and poor decision-making.
Moreover, lonely adults are also more likely to exercise less, eat more unhealthy foods, and sleep more poorly. They’re also predisposed to premature aging.
High levels of loneliness are generally associated with living alone, physical health symptoms, small social networks, and low-quality social relationships. Loneliness can also be somewhat ‘contagious,’ as spending time with lonely people can make someone develop feelings of loneliness, too.
On the flip side, less lonely people tend to be married, have higher incomes, and have higher educational status.
“Having a few close friends is enough to ward off loneliness and reduce the negative health consequences associated with this state of mind. Research suggests that the experience of actual face-to-face contact with friends helps boost people's sense of well-being,” Verywell Mind states.
While easier said than done, loneliness can be overcome with a conscious effort to change your life for the sake of more health and happiness. It all starts with making small changes to your day-to-day routine. And, gradually, you’ll start noticing results.
You could start volunteering from time to time, trying to be more grateful and positive, trying out new hobbies and activities, talking to new people wherever you might meet them, and making a focused effort to strengthen the positive relationships you already have.
What are your thoughts about the loneliness epidemic around the world, dear Pandas? How would you ‘solve’ it? Have you ever struggled with loneliness? If so, how did you change things for the better? How do you make new friends now that you're all grown up? We’d love to hear from you, so if you have a moment, share your thoughts in the comments below.
The online post sparked a heated discussion, with many people having wildly different opinions about the entire issue
