Sharing – The surprising truth about loneliness in America
The article below interests me because it’s easy to assume we know who is most likely to be lonely: single people, older people, etc.
Yet, the surveys are also telling us minorities might be more likely to be lonely, women report being lonely more than men, and there’s a whole spectrum of loneliness that isn’t a clear yes/no dynamic. Some people in similar life situations feel less lonely than others.
That is true. Many assume I’m lonely because I work from home, but mostly I’m not. I contact a group of people online, see my wife daily, and make it a point to get out and do things regularly. However, my social interaction levels might make someone more extroverted than I feel very lonely.
It may not always be clear who is lonely and who isn’t, which is why I think the closing paragraph of the article is something I want to remind myself of often:
Because everyone has different social needs — one person may need constant connection to not feel lonely while another is satisfied with a daily phone call with a friend — we need to support our loved ones whenever we can, Graham says. Whether it’s a neighbor who lives alone or a single parent, reach out to those who may be at highest risk for loneliness. “Knowing that there’s somebody there might be enough to mitigate any potential loneliness,” she says. “You have to know your people.”
There’s no replacement for knowing your people and keeping in touch with them in the appropriate ways. Of course, a quick text message never hurt anyone if you aren’t sure. It’s not like most of us overcommunicate with our close friends and loved ones.
