As the United States continues to recover from the destruction of the coronavirus, the socially isolating conditions of the pandemic have deepened what the former U.S. surgeon general calls an epidemic of “loneliness.”
Two weeks ago, as I was sitting in the back row of Kaleo chapel in a seat closest to the corner of the room, through the darkness and under the harsh beams of the lights, I was able to make out a face next to me. Seated near me was a former classmate sitting alone, which was rare, as I had never seen them sit alone.
Before I could strike up a conversation, their friends quickly rushed to their side, filling the seats besides them. All of a sudden, my relatively quiet back row had become more lively, filled with the energetic but hushed conversing of a group of friends. Despite sitting shoulder to shoulder with other people, I was alone. Although I have always attended chapel alone during my time as a student, this was the first time I felt lonely.
According to health officials across the United States, this overwhelming loneliness is swallowing up America.
In 2017, Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy warned that the U.S. was in the midst of a “loneliness epidemic.” While Murthy focused on highlighting the connection between America’s work culture and the epidemic, the coronavirus pandemic steamrolled into millions of Americans’ lives and greatly exacerbated the symptoms of the epidemic.
In fact, a 2021 Harvard report found that 36% of all Americans feel “serious loneliness” and directly pointed to the pandemic for deepening the loneliness epidemic.
Murthy’s advocacy for loneliness in America to be viewed as an epidemic stemmed from his tenure as surgeon general. As he would travel to communities across the country, he found that “loneliness was a profound issue that was affecting people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.” He specifically coined it as an epidemic as one person’s loneliness can impact another person, saying that it was not an isolated condition.
Furthermore, he said that serious loneliness was felt in all areas of the U.S.; from rural to urban areas and from the heartland to the coasts — loneliness is everywhere.
But what exactly does “loneliness” mean in this context? In a New York Times article about the epidemic, “Loneliness, as defined by mental health professionals, is a gap between the level of connectedness that you want and what you have. It is not the same as social isolation, which is codified in the social sciences as a measure of a person’s contacts. Loneliness is a subjective feeling. People can have a lot of contact and still be lonely, or be perfectly content by themselves.”
The loneliness epidemic is concerning mental health professionals across the country because of the health risks associated with it, which pose dangers to the long term physical and mental health of millions of Americans.
According to Murthy, the reduction in lifespan caused by loneliness is comparable to that of the impact of chronic smoking or obesity. Health dangers such as heart disease, anxiety, depression and dementia are associated with loneliness, as well as substance abuse and domestic abuse, according to the Harvard report.
Murthy also stated the epidemic has negative effects on one’s career, as loneliness is also associated with a decline in task performance. “It limits creativity. It impairs other aspects of executive function, such as decision-making,” Murthy added.
As previously stated, Murthy had attributed some of the blame for the epidemic to America’s work culture. Specifically, Murthy asserts that the American workplace no longer encourages a sense of community in the workplace, and this especially affects people who might be unable to have social lives outside of their jobs.
Furthermore, as a culture of overworking has become normalized in the U.S., the importance of encouraging a community in the workplace where work relationships are fulfilling is the focal point of Murthy’s warnings.
The rapid acceleration and expansion of technology is another factor which has motivated the epidemic, according to Murthy. Adding onto this fact, the Times shared this troubling statistic:
“A paradox: People are more connected now than ever — through phones, social media, Zoom and such — yet loneliness continues to rise. Among the most digitally connected, teenagers and young adults, loneliness nearly doubled in prevalence between 2012 and 2018, coinciding with the explosion in social media use.”
Additionally, the Washington Post has taken to examining the role technology plays in the loneliness epidemic by publishing a series of articles focusing on the experiences of people’s loneliness and its connection to technology.
If you’re like me and have experienced serious feelings of loneliness lately, there are suggested methods to combat these feelings. Murthy has offered eight ideas to alleviate the loneliness that’s been plaguing us, three of which I, personally, deem the most important.
Firstly, Murthy suggests that we set aside time every day to reach out to the people we love. Scheduling a hangout with your friend(s), giving your parents a call or interacting with any close friends/family for just 15 minutes can greatly improve our sense of connectedness.
Secondly, when spending time with people, we should be fully in the moment and give them our full attention. In the age of smartphones and social media, it can be easy to get distracted even when we’re socializing, but according to Murthy, our full attention “can make five minutes feel like 50 minutes.”
Finally, Murthy suggests that we form a “moai,” a Japanese tradition which closely resembles a support network; “a small group of people who serve as lifelong supports for one another.” If you have people you deeply trust, consider approaching them with the proposition to form such a bond, and allow yourself to be more vulnerable and connected with those in your life.