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If you feel lonely sometimes, you aren’t alone. And if you ever wondered why there are so many dating and match-making websites, it’s no wonder. According to a recent survey of twenty thousand adults of all ages, nearly 50 percent said they sometimes or always felt alone or left out. The survey, conducted by Ipsos for the health insurer Cigna, reported that forty-three percent said their relationships weren’t meaningful and twenty-seven percent said they rarely or never felt understood, as reported on CBSNews.com.
Face-to-Face Most Meaningful
While loneliness is often associated with aging, the survey found that the worst affected were, in fact, young Americans between the ages of 18 and 22. Some research suggests that social media use can be isolating but had no obvious impact on perceived isolation. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many thousands of “friends” or “likes” you have on social media, it’s the meaningful, face-to-face relationships you have that really matter, and keep people from being lonely. We have to wonder if it is possible that people are lonely because they spend so much time on the internet instead of being with real people cultivating real relationships?
Loneliness and Physical Problems
Previous research has shown that loneliness is associated with many physical problems, including weakened immune system, inflammation, heart disease, and mental decline. One study in 2010 found that being lonely has the same effect on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Depression Link?
The findings about lonely young people are particularly alarming. We wonder if there is a link between these loneliness statistics and depression levels among young people. More studies on loneliness are necessary.
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
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