By Pravin Periasamy
Haunted by her years growing up devoid of authentic human connection, Stephanie experiences a deep and painful void in her heart.
It is a void that yearns for kinship and platonic love.
She tries to distance herself from the upsets of the past and the isolation of the present. But the grief is overwhelming.
Stephanie finds herself without friends to support her in her darkest days, without a shoulder to cry on and isolated from the community.
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Her suffering spills over into her workplace. She feels disconnected from her colleagues and uninspired to strive to achieve her full potential. Every day, she returns to an empty home.
This cycle repeats itself until she reaches old age. She continues to wait for a hand to hold, but seems destined to experience a lonely death.
This phenomenon is the grim reality which many around the world, across all ages, experience. The ‘loneliness epidemic’ has disrupted the integrity of our interpersonal and communal relationships.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that loneliness plagues about a quarter of older adults and 5-15% of adolescents.
This “global public health concern” has prompted the agency to establish a global plan to improve social connections in communities.
The absence of genuine social connections and social isolation weakens both personal and community health. Current literature indicates that intense loneliness and social isolation could lead to premature death. It could also worsen underlying issues associated with mental health.
According to a Meta-Gallup survey in over 140 countries, a quarter of adults worldwide feel ”very or fairly lonely”. Most concerning, the data revealed that young adults (aged 19 to 29) experience the highest levels of loneliness.
In the past, social isolation was associated with elderly communities. But it is now widespread and cuts across different demographics. This makes it a global emergency, as it has the potential to upset global consciousness altogether. Relationships and communities can be torn apart and even pushed into a state of disrepair.
The ‘loneliness epidemic’ grew worse with lockdowns and social distancing arising from the Covid scare. These restrictions limited in-personal contacts and ruptured normal social dynamics.
In Malaysia, a study revealed that 14% of people feel “fairly” or “very” lonely. Adolescents too are affected, with 16.2% of secondary school students suffering from loneliness.
So this issue should be a priority. The government has to tackle it and help in domestic and international efforts to curb the problem.
Long-term loneliness and social isolation could weaken key social structures that promote a healthy, united and prosperous nation.
Abandoning the issue risks sidelining an important facet of human welfare.
The problem requires a new policy framework to increase community-building. This framework should encourage and support activities that bring communities together and create positive interactions between people.
The framework must also develop counter-measures to curb anti-social behaviour that threatens social harmony. Such measures could include awareness programmes in schools and universities to promote a culture of togetherness and unity.
The loneliness epidemic has to be treated as a national emergency. Malaysia must also join in global efforts to combat loneliness.
Through these efforts, many abandoned people, here and abroad, will realise that there are many who still care for them.
Pravin Periasamy is the networking and partnership director of the Malaysian Philosophy Society.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
