According to this Youtube video on loneliness, "Loneliness is twice as deadly as obesity and as deadly as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day".
This was surprisingly in-depth. They actually list their sources and most of them seem to be legitimate research papers and books. We are social beings. Even the hermits and socially awkward need some level of human interaction.
I identified with many thoughts expressed here - in particular, the bit about the vicious cycle of loneliness and how your perceptions change. You see things that aren't true. You misunderstand social interactions. You become hyper-aware and defensive. You stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. Everything is negative. You feel anxious. You don't get along with anyone.
YOU need to pull yourself out of this funk and realize perhaps you have the wrong mindset. Give people the benefit of the doubt. When you're not sure, don't assume you understand someone's intentions. Ask them. Be direct and try to understand them. Communication is hard.
It's interesting that loneliness has increased over time. With the age of technology and social media, you would think loneliness would be a thing of the past. Communication is getting harder. Intentions are getting misinterpreted. We're becoming more isolated. This issue is not going to solve itself. We need to acknowledge this problem and ensure our mindsets are evolving along with our environments.
Source:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691614568352
Youtube video source list:
https://sites.google.com/view/sourcesloneliness/startseite
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Imagine being lonely with the overload of binges and clicks to wherever in the universe to keep you interested and busy and dare I say not lonely? But, I get lonely, it's all electronic substitutes to sharing ones life with others. It's sad to wait for someone to care that you exist by waiting for a like or comment on social media. We're waiting to matter somehow to a world that is there for the taking but the effort isn't being put in. I want to visit and email...it's more intimate and meaningful and the feeling afterwards is like....what social media?? I have the real thing. The real interaction. I wish we'd all recognize the value of the old school of keeping in touch. I've fallen down the rabbit hole I'll admit, but it's not to say I like it. I miss the in person visits, no thanks to covid. So, I'm making a pact to email. I hate talking on the phone and suck at replying to texts....so EMAIL ME :) dusukasi@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteRight, exactly! Technology and social media (SM) are just digital distractions. SM is a terrible, indirect way of staying engaged and in touch with others. You have to be more direct. Phone calls, emails, in-person interactions. Our addictions to SM and technology are ripping us away from the more direct and meaningful connections with others.
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