We’re In The Grips Of A Loneliness Epidemic And Here’s Why

In an increasingly hyper connected world, loneliness is on the rise. It seems like a dichotomy, but social researchers say it actually makes sense even as it also forces a heavy toll on those of us who are heavily connected but increasingly isolated despite all our social interactions. Recent surveys show that more than fifteen percent of Australians have no friends they feel comfortable enough to drop in on for a visit absent an invitation. That seems like a statistic that might produce a shrug, except it’s ten percent higher than the number when the same survey was conducted in the mid 1980s.

Worse, the number of friends people describe as close has dropped by about half overall between 2005 and today; from about six and a half per person to just under four. Nearly twenty percent of Australians say they would be reluctant to get in touch with even neighbors who live near their homes or apartments, even in a time of crisis. Add it all up, and even though everyone’s life gives the appearance of being full of social interactions, that socialization is actually becoming more and more shallow. Deep and meaningful social connections are not being built, and it’s leaving people feeling more alone than ever before.

Key Points:

  • 1Men more than women have trouble making friends, especially those outside of their families.
  • 2Use of technology is the reason people are not able to make friends.
  • 3Having less friends to talk to one on one also increases the degree of mental health issues people have.


The OmniPoll survey, conducted by Martin O’ Shannessey, revealed that 17% of us don’t have any friends we could visit without an invitation.
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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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