Wellness - Overcoming Solitude: "Engaging in Activities"
Celebrities experience loneliness too - comedian Atze Schroder can attest to that after his lonely Spanish language course in Madrid. Governments around the world are starting to take notice of the issue, with countries like the Netherlands and Great Britain leading the way by implementing national strategies to combat loneliness. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany have also joined in, and North Rhine-Westphalia has plans to introduce an action plan against loneliness at the end of the year.
A conference at the Düsseldorf State Chancellery showcased international examples of how to address the problem. At the conference, it was stressed that political action is important despite the intricacy of the issue. The Bertelsmann Foundation and the Liz Mohn Foundation, in partnership with the North Rhine-Westphalia state government, put together the impulse paper.
Loneliness is a common experience across various demographics. The recent Loneliness Barometer found that single parents, older people, and migrants are more susceptible to loneliness. Loneliness affects several million people in Germany.
Even small actions can make a difference. Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) encouraged people to help each other combat loneliness through everyday acts of kindness. These could include sending a postcard to someone who hasn't heard from you in a while or providing a place for lonely neighbors.
The idea of appointing a "Minister for Loneliness" has been proposed in Great Britain and Japan. Great Britain has taken the fight against loneliness a step further by launching a social media campaign, with influential celebrities advocating for recognizing and combating loneliness. They've also allocated €650 million for extracurricular activities to ensure that all 11- to 18-year-olds have access to socialization beyond their family and school. In Japan, the high suicide rate among children and adolescents has highlighted the need for addressing loneliness; the organization "Anata no Ibasho" provides a 24/7 digital counseling room for young people to seek help.
The Netherlands kicked off the anti-loneliness movement in 2014, identifying early signs of loneliness through neighborhood teams, campaigns, and hotlines. Municipalities commit to developing local loneliness strategies, and the "Join Us" project encourages young people to create their own social networks while acknowledging that they're not alone in their feelings of isolation. Finland takes a more comprehensive approach, targeting lonely children and adolescents in schools and making all teachers responsible for reducing loneliness.
Loneliness can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders, as well as physical health problems due to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits. It reduces social participation and can contribute to extremist ideologies and a belief in conspiracy theories. Loneliness is a severe societal issue that affects many people, but not everyone. renowned loneliness researcher Maike Luhmann emphasized the need for caution in diagnosing it as a medical concern.
Brigitte Mohn from the Bertelsmann Foundation suggested a solution to tackle loneliness among children and adolescents, but admitted they're still figuring out how best to do that in the digital space. Although the internet can't replace real friends, it can help alleviate some forms of loneliness. Ultimately, the role of governments is to address this societal problem systematically, as it will likely continue regardless of political changes.
