New research reveals a paradox: How the media portrays solitude\u2014though well-intentioned\u2014may exacerbate loneliness by negatively influencing people’s beliefs about being alone.<\/p>\n
In an era of hyperconnectivity, loneliness has been declared a global epidemic with significant consequences for mental and physical health. Public health campaigns and media discussions have long sought to combat this crisis\u2014but could they be making it worse?<\/p>\n
A deep dive into 144 news articles from leading US newspapers, published between 2020 and 2022, uncovered a striking trend: Solitude is overwhelmingly depicted as a negative, even dangerous state. These stories are 10 times more likely to describe being alone as more harmful than beneficial.<\/p>\n
“Widespread public discourse about the dangers of being alone may be doing more harm than good,” says lead author and University of Michigan social psychology graduate student Micaela Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
“This work highlights the need for media outlets and public health campaigns to clearly distinguish between being alone and feeling lonely<\/a>\u2014and to acknowledge that spending time alone, which is an inevitable part of daily life, can sometimes be beneficial.”<\/p>\n
Using rigorous longitudinal research methods, this Nature Communications<\/em><\/a> article\u2014the first known to critically analyze how American news media portrays being alone\u2014finds that people who believe being alone is harmful tend to feel lonelier after spending time alone in daily life. However, those with a more positive view of solitude don’t just feel less lonely in the same situations, they actually feel more positive.<\/p>\n
Public health leaders, including the World Health Organization and the previous US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, have warned of loneliness as a major health threat, linking it to depression, cardiovascular disease<\/a>, and even early mortality.<\/p>\n
However, this new research introduces a critical nuance\u2014being alone isn’t necessarily the problem. In fact, solitude can be a source of personal growth, creativity<\/a>, and emotional recharge when approached with the right mindset, the researchers say.<\/p>\n
“Our research reveals another potential path to reduce<\/a> loneliness: helping people develop a healthier, more positive relationship with their alone time. We’re currently testing an intervention designed to help lonely individuals reframe their beliefs about being alone to improve well-being and reduce loneliness.”<\/p>\n
Source: Fernanda Pires for University of Michigan<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"