[Babybird]

Loneliness​

We've never been more digitally connected, yet one-third of Australians still feel lonely.

Key points:

• A landmark report into loneliness has found almost one in three Australians feel lonely

• 27 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds report social media addiction, which is linked to loneliness

• Sport and cultural activities are valuable, but connections that feel safe and supportive are key

WARNING: This story includes references to suicide.

One in six people report feeling severely lonely, and the people we are least socially connected to are our neighbours.

These are just some of the key findings in the first State of the Nation Report into social connection, from Ending Loneliness Together.

Michelle Lim, who heads the coalition of research organisations involved in the report, said the study was a snapshot of about 4,000 Australians from across the country, aged 18 to 92 years old.

"People can, and often are, reporting feeling lonely, even though they are not physically isolated," Dr Lim said.

The report, released to coincide with the start of Australia's first-ever Loneliness Awareness Week, defines loneliness as "a distressing feeling we get when we feel disconnected from other people, and desire more (or more satisfying) social relationships".

Contrary to some stereotypes, the loneliest demographics skewed younger, with those aged 18 to 24, and 45 to 54, reporting feeling most disconnected.

"Some of these age groups are not necessarily people who are socially isolated; they are very much well embedded within our communities and society," Dr Lim said.

"But they still feel or complain quite frequently about feeling lonely."

Are technology and social media to blame?

The role technology and social media played in loneliness were complex, according to Dr Lim.

"What we can see in the data is that social media use and frequency of using it is actually not related to loneliness," she said.

"But when we actually develop what we call addictive-type behaviours, that … seems to be very much associated with higher levels of loneliness."

The article goes on towards percentage and suicides due to feeling cut off no family interaction or involvement etc.
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