Blog Post #25: Loneliness
The pandemic has much to do with the epidemic of loneliness in this country and others. Before the pandemic our country was divided but the pandemic made it worse. Yes people were moving into their silos in good part because of social media but misinformation in the past few years has created more paranoia and has caused people to dig in even more deeply. Because of all of this we no longer really know our neighbors or other members of our community as we did in the past. This is a disservice to everyone of us especially our children because I would agree with Hillary Clinton that it takes a village to raise a child.
This is an epidemic that will not be cured by a new drug. The cure is a relatively simple one that involves putting down your cell phone after you call your neighbor and invite them over or out for dinner. We have to push against the misinformation that is out there and realize that we have more in common with our neighbors than we have differences. I am encouraged by the fact that in some of our largest cities such as New York clubs that focus on walking, swimming and doing other things with your neighbors are developing. The infrastructure for all of this is already here. We built it in the early part of the 20th century. Most states have beautiful parks and other recreation facilities. Perhaps more public swimming pools could be built but we presently have a wealth of opportunities for people to do other things then read their cell phone or watch movies at home.
Loneliness is not depression but it can certainly lead to it. It will not be solved by taking an antidepressant or any other type of drug. It affects both adults and adolescents. Other countries such as Great Britain have realized this and identified it as a public health crisis. They have done much to focus their public health services on this issue. These services have hired psychologists and social workers and developed programs and activities for adults and adolescents that encourage people to interact and communicate. Our public health services would do well to do similar things.
Ron Breazeale PhD