Is ‘connection’ on social media making us more lonely?
July 3, 2018
Image created by geralt at Pixabay
Naaila Ofori Muhammad explores the snowballing epidemic affecting young as well as older people
Loneliness. A word usually attached to older people. A lack of family and a dead spouse are common tropes associated with the elderly.
In Japan, many old people die alone. It happens so frequently it has its own phrase: “lonely deaths”. It’s estimated that there are 4,000 “lonely deaths” a week in Japan. Shockingly, a person can be dead for months until the stench of the corpse alerts people of its presence.
Closer to home issues of social isolation/loneliness prevail. Nearly half of the UK population feel lonely. A survey conducted by the Jo Cox Commission on loneliness found that almost 75% of older people in the UK are lonely. Just like in Japan, the elderly here seem to be forgotten and ignored.
Infographic by Angela Chen
Around 7 in 10 (average age 63) of those surveyed said their close friends and family would be surprised to learn they were lonely. This is an issue we claim to be all too familiar with yet appear blind to the suffering right in front of us.
But there’s another loneliness: a snowballing epidemic with much less attention paid to it: teen loneliness.
According to a recent report by Acevo, nearly half of young people in the UK often feel lonely. This compares to only a quarter of over 65s.
There’s another loneliness: a snowballing epidemic with much less attention paid to it: teen loneliness
The assumption that teenagers are constantly on their phones and can’t possibly be lonely is sometimes true. How can we be when we have a constant, overwhelming stream of information readily available for our consumption?
It’s common for teens to spend hours on our phones without interacting with anyone in real-life. You can scroll aimlessly through Instagram, lazily hit the reblog on Tumblr and hastily like on Twitter. This constant, passive acceptance of information masks the actual lack of real social interaction. Young people in London are twice as likely to feel lonely than their peers from other parts of the UK.
A culture of loneliness has arrived on social media too. Jokes and memes about being lonely trivialise the issue. Have we, as young people, become so desensitised we don’t even see it as an issue? Do we even realise we’re lonely?
A ‘venting’ culture has popped up on the Internet. Apps like ‘Vent’ allow users to anonymously share their feelings whilst receiving virtual affirmation and support from others.
Face-to-face interaction is dying and social media venting is rising in its place
Similarly, on Twitter some users anonymously chronicle their pain, interacting with others who feel the same. This has become the way for many to open up and discuss their feelings.
It seems face-to-face interaction is dying and social media venting is rising in its place. Even among older people, 59% of respondents from the recent survey feel that social media platforms help them to feel connected. But are they?
The Jo Cox Commission is making key steps in the battle against loneliness, and so must we. Start a conversation with someone over a cuppa today!
Check out Exposure’s latest film tackling youth loneliness:
