WASHINGTON: Widespread loneliness in the United States poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the overburdened health industry billions of dollars annually, according to the US surgeon general. Dr. Vivek Murthy declared the latest public health epidemic on Tuesday, saying that about half of US adults have experienced loneliness.
“We know that loneliness is a common feeling that several people experience. It is like hunger or thirst. It is a feeling the body sends us when something we need for our survival is missing,” Dr. Murthy told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview.
“Millions of people in the US are struggling in the shadows, which is not right. That is why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that so many people are experiencing.”
Research shows that US citizens, who have become less engaged with community organizations, worship houses, and even their family members in recent decades, have steadily reported increased feelings of loneliness. The number of single households has also increased over the last 60 years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the crisis as schools and workplaces shut their doors, sending millions of US citizens to isolate at home away from relatives or friends. The surgeon general’s report finds that people called their friend groups during the pandemic and reduced time spent with those friends. Americans spent around 20 minutes a day in person with friends in 2020, a decrease from 60 minutes daily around two decades earlier.
Loneliness epidemic in US
The epidemic of loneliness is hitting young people, ages 15 to 24, particularly hard. The age group reported a 70 percent drop in time spent with near friends during the same period.
The report reveals that loneliness increases the risk of premature death by nearly 30%, with those with poor social relationships also having a greater stroke and heart disease risk. Isolation also increases a person’s likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, and dementia.
The surgeon general calls on workplaces, schools, technology companies, community organizations, parents, and others to make changes that will improve the country’s connectedness. He advises people to sit with community groups and put down their mobile phones when catching up with friends; employers to think carefully regarding their remote work rules and policies; and health systems to train doctors to recognize the possible health risks of loneliness.
Technology has rapidly increased the loneliness problem. One study cited in the report found that those people who used social media for two hours or more than two hours daily were more than twice as likely to report feelings of social isolation than those who were on such apps for less than 30 minutes daily. Murthy said social media, in particular, is driving the increase in loneliness. His report suggests that technology companies protect children, especially around their social media behaviour.
“There’s no substitute for in-person interaction,” Dr. Murthy said. “As we shifted to use technology more for our communication, we lost out on much of that in-person interaction. How we design technology that strengthens our relationships instead of weakens them?”
The declaration is intended to increase awareness about loneliness but would not unlock federal funding or programming devoted to combating the issue.
