That we are living through a loneliness epidemic at a time when people have never been more digitally connected is one of the great paradoxes of modern life.
In 2023, the year social media engagement reportedly peaked, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a “global public health concern”. The irony was hard to miss: just as people appeared to be more digitally connected than ever, many of the places and habits that once brought them together in real life were being weakened. Remote working had reshaped daily life, religious attendance had declined across much of the west, the cost of living crisis had made socialising harder, and third places – from pubs and libraries to youth clubs and community centres – were closing or struggling to survive.
However, that’s just part of the story. Over the years, Positive News has reported on the many hopeful initiatives that have sprung up to tackle loneliness – from the rise of communal dining and the Men’s Sheds movement, to intergenerational nurseries and talking benches.
Now we’re turning to you, our readers, to find out what you do to nurture meaningful human connections in an increasingly disconnected world. No act is too small. It could be something as simple as being part of a book club, walking group or cooking meals for others. Or it could be something bigger, like volunteering or tending a community garden. Even the simple act of going to live music can feel like a rebellion against creeping isolation. More than one of our team find community spirit in the moshpit.
Tell us how you forge human connections in the form below. We will publish our favourite answers in a forthcoming editorial. We can’t promise to print them all, but we will read them.
Main image: Austin Loveing
