{"id":1074,"date":"2021-11-26T22:19:07","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T22:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/theragingtwenties\/?p=1074"},"modified":"2021-12-02T18:01:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T18:01:25","slug":"the-loneliness-epidemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/theragingtwenties\/2021\/11\/26\/the-loneliness-epidemic\/","title":{"rendered":"The loneliness epidemic: How the pandemic is taking its toll on young Canadians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Colton Harris, pictured outside his family home in Whitby, Ont., is a first-year student at Algonquin College. Harris said he wishes he could go back to in-person class. \u201cI miss the human connection,\u201d he said. Photo credit: Cindi Harris.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nothing about Colton Harris\u2019s life looks sad. He is expecting a friend in an hour whom he met on Snapchat. But, pacing through his spacious apartment in Nepean, the friendly 18-year-old said he felt lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t understand why I feel lonely,\u201d he said, while making a protein shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris moved to Ottawa in September from Whitby, Ont. to study fitness and health promotion at Algonquin College. He is one of the many young adults in Canada who report feeling lonely and isolated, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2020 Angus Reid Institute survey<\/a>, 63 per cent of 18 to 34-year-old Canadian men experienced loneliness and isolation, compared to 53 per cent of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loneliness can manifest in different ways with different people, often in the form of anger, fatigue, depression, or anxiety, Murthy wrote in his best-selling 2020 book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2020 Statistics Canada report<\/u><\/a>, loneliness is associated with increased risks of mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And research<\/a> shows people who are lonely are often ashamed to admit it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris says his condition deteriorated since June when his relationship with his girlfriend came to an end. \u201cI feel lonely and depressed even when I\u2019m around people,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I moved to Ottawa, I had no one to talk to. I miss my family and my dog Cali, a goldendoodle. She kept me calm. When I did not want to talk to anyone, I would take a walk with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he also misses his girlfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI use Tinder and Snapchat to socialize with girls. I crave a sense of affection,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought they care about me. They don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the reasons Harris said he feels lonely is because there aren\u2019t a lot of things he can do because of COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the pandemic continuing, I have less and less to keep myself busy. I used to play baseball. It kept me sane. But there are no sporting facilities nearby. I just go to the mall and walk around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris has seen a counsellor, but says he didn\u2019t like it. \u201cI would rather talk to my friends than a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The paradox of social media<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons for high rates of loneliness in young adults. Perhaps most prominent is the age group\u2019s heavy use of social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2016 study found heavy social media users are three times more likely to suffer from depression and loneliness<\/a> than occasional users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candace Konnert, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary, said social media use is related to loneliness in young adults. \u201cIf you are constantly viewing persons who are popular and socially integrated, then that\u2019s going to, by comparison, make you feel lonely,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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University of Calgary psychology professor Candace Konnert, pictured in her office, says loneliness can be prevented by taking measures early on. Photo credit: David H. Brown. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Konnert added a supporting environment is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am talking about family and friends and the extent to which they support you on a day-to-day basis,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not so much objective support as it is subjective support \u2014 knowing that you can go to them if you need to talk about something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2014 study, there is a direct link<\/a> between loneliness and addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAddiction could lead to less social support which could aggravate loneliness. But loneliness is a reason why people self-medicate. The relationship between loneliness and addiction is extremely complicated. It\u2019s a circular relationship where one affects the other,\u201d Konnert said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 study by the Toronto Foundation<\/a> found Toronto downtowners are less likely to feel their neighbourhoods are supportive of them. Across the city, young people aged 25 to 29 exhibited the lowest levels of social capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople in this age group are busy establishing their careers, university students are often on their own for the first time and a task they face is to find partners,\u201d Konnert said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tackling loneliness through community programs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Louis Keran, 18, moved to Ottawa from France in August to study communication and political science at the University of Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of my courses are online. It\u2019s difficult to meet people. Some mornings when I wake up, there is no one to talk to. I just watch TV or play video games,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Louis Keran plays video game in his Ottawa apartment. The 18-year-old moved to the city in August. “Sometimes I feel like I have no one to talk to,” he said. Photo credit: Amitava Kar <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keran played basketball in France, but hasn\u2019t found a similar outlet in his new city. \u201cThere is an outdoor court nearby but it\u2019s too cold to play. I wish there were more outdoor activities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent research<\/a> shows participation in outdoor activities such as neighborhood walks, cycling and visiting local parks improves mental health and well-being. Taking part in these activities exposes people to nature, physical activity and social interactions that can have multiple health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Konnert emphasized the need to tackle loneliness at an early age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to take the long view. We know that kids who feel lonely are going to suffer loneliness as adults. That\u2019s why each child must have access to facilities that they need to thrive,\u201d Konnert said. \u201cSome schools have come up with buddy programs and friendship circles. These kinds of social infrastructures for youth services are critical for targeting loneliness in young adults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to prevent loneliness is to look for early signs, she added. \u201cWe have to train family physicians, pediatrician and employers to identify warning signs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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