"Lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," says U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
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The World Health Organisation considers loneliness a crisis and at epidemic levels in the U.S., with similar levels of social disconnection experienced in Australia. Across Australia, 1 in 3 people are currently experiencing loneliness. And these people now have a level of premature death risk equivalent to smoking daily, greater than 26 per cent.
Despite prevailing evidence that humans are more connected than ever before, with immediate access to any person at the tap of a smartphone screen, loneliness is higher. The volume of connections a person has does not necessarily mean they have quality relationships. And now, we are not even limited to living humans, with deep fake technology becoming accessible to create social companions based on historical characters and celebrities alike.
Social psychologists in 2005 evidenced that feelings of social pain - like loneliness, disconnection, and a lack of a sense of belonging - are felt in similar ways to physical injuries. Yet, some 20 years on, society at large has become lonelier with a lower average number of close friends.
This is a harrowing picture with systemic change leadership needed to respond not only to symptoms - like depression, suicidal intentions, and lower workplace productivity - but to underlying causes. As a society, it might be time to put down the Instagram reels, TikTok scrolling, bingeable seasons on Netflix, and Tinder scrolling and a little more time to connect with others in person. These activities, in moderation, might be fun but can impose barriers to time to build and sustain genuine connections with others.
As part of the Australian Universities Accord, I developed a response to student loneliness and low belonging, with the report now released by the Department of Education. The report highlighted a need for greater built environment consideration of connection over convenience. Instead of a shopfront designed to minimise interaction time, spaces ought to facilitate the natural overlap of people. Think of your favourite café, is it the one that serves quickest or is it the one where the barista made you laugh?
University campuses were once a positive space for academic conversation and building lifelong friendships. With a decreased level of participation in on-campus activities in favour of online classes, students miss the opportunity to develop the long-term relationships needed to build meaningful connections with the people in their community. With the pandemic age, meaning students currently preparing to graduate have had potentially two years of physical distancing, the opportunity to learn through social observation (or social learning theory) and practice has been diminished for some. And the long-term cost without intervention at a systems level may be great.
Dr Joseph Crawford is an organisational behaviour expert at the University of Tasmania.
