The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday said that no fewer than 871,000 people globally die from loneliness every year.
According to the WHO commission, one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, which, along with social isolation, can lead to physical illness.
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It said that loneliness increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, depression, anxiety and suicide.
The WHO also noted that lonely teenagers are 22 per cent more likely to achieve lower grades than their peers, while lonely adults face greater challenges in finding or keeping a job.
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It said the impact is not only individual but also societal, with billions in costs to healthcare systems and losses in employment.
The commission’s co-chair, Vivek Murthy, defines loneliness as “a painful, subjective feeling that many of us experience when the relationships that we need do not match the relationships that we have.”
Mr Murthy said social isolation, by contrast, is an objective state of having few relationships or interactions.
He also said one in three older people and one in four adolescents are estimated to be socially isolated.
The causes include illness, poor education, low income, a lack of opportunities for social interaction, living alone and the use of digital technologies.
Mr Murthy noted that humans have communicated for millennia not only through words but also through facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and silence.
These forms of communication are lost when people rely solely on mobile phones and social media.
The WHO highlighted Sweden as a positive example, the country has implemented a national strategy against loneliness, as reported by Swedish Social Minister, Jakob Forssmed.
Sweden recognises that loneliness is not just an individual problem but one that affects society as a whole.
Efforts are also being made to foster social connections in places like shops, restaurants, neighbourhoods and clubs. Soon, all children and teenagers in Sweden will receive prepaid cards that can only be used to book group leisure activities.
Mr Forssmed said Sweden plans to ban mobile phones in public schools.
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He said studies have shown that this increases social interaction and reduces cyberbullying.
He added that children are often frustrated when their parents are constantly distracted by their phones.
While digital technologies have their benefits, such as enabling video calls that were previously impossible, the commission emphasised the importance of creating spaces in life where people can interact face-to-face without technological distractions.
Mr Murthy said “having places and spaces in our life where we can interact face to face with other people without the distraction of technology is very important.”
(NAN)
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