Are you lonesome tonight?

[Angrboda]

New Cigna Study Reveals Loneliness at Epidemic Levels in America

The evaluation of loneliness was measured by a score of 43 or higher on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a 20-item questionnaire developed to assess subjective feelings of loneliness, as well as social isolation. The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a frequently referenced and acknowledged academic measure used to gauge loneliness.

The survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults ages 18 years and older revealed some alarming findings:

• Nearly half of Americans report sometimes or always feeling alone (46 percent) or left out (47 percent).
  
• One in four Americans (27 percent) rarely or never feel as though there are people who really understand them.
  
• Two in five Americans sometimes or always feel that their relationships are not meaningful (43 percent) and that they are isolated from others (43 percent).
  
• One in five people report they rarely or never feel close to people (20 percent) or feel like there are people they can talk to (18 percent).
  
• Americans who live with others are less likely to be lonely (average loneliness score of 43.5) compared to those who live alone (46.4). However, this does not apply to single parents/guardians (average loneliness score of 48.2) – even though they live with children, they are more likely to be lonely.
  
• Only around half of Americans (53 percent) have meaningful in-person social interactions, such as having an extended conversation with a friend or spending quality time with family, on a daily basis.
  
• Generation Z (adults ages 18-22) is the loneliest generation and claims to be in worse health than older generations.
  
• Social media use alone is not a predictor of loneliness; respondents defined as very heavy users of social media have a loneliness score (43.5) that is not markedly different from the score of those who never use social media (41.7).

[Foxaèr]

I wonder how much the smart phone epidemic has to play into it.

[The Valkyrie]

Nope.

It's 10.17 am here and people won't stop bugging me.

I might have to make an example...

[Chad32]

I have felt lonely, living by myself. That's why I find hobbies that get me out of a house, and even took in a roommate partly because I want some company.

[Foxaèr]

I have felt lonely, living by myself. That's why I find hobbies that get me out of a house, and even took in a roommate partly because I want some company.

Curiously, what's with the number difference between avatar and username?

---

I can understand where this poll is coming from, though, and I wish people were more sensitive to other's needs.

There was recently a news article about a friend who text messaged a friend. He needed consolation. She didn't have the time. He committed suicide that night.

It's freaking heartbreaking. We need to be more human, not less.

[Losty]

I feel lonely...I wouldn’t say a lot but sometimes, but I have a lot of opportunities to spend time with other people. I just prefer not to. I think I feel lonely, not because I want more interaction but because I don’t really like people that much. It would be nice if there were more people that were less peopley i suppose.

[Chad32]

I have felt lonely, living by myself. That's why I find hobbies that get me out of a house, and even took in a roommate partly because I want some company.

Curiously, what's with the number difference between avatar and username?

---

I can understand where this poll is coming from, though, and I wish people were more sensitive to other's needs.

There was recently a news article about a friend who text messaged a friend.  He needed consolation.  She didn't have the time.  He committed suicide that night.

It's freaking heartbreaking.  We need to be more human, not less.

I'm about to hit thirty seven. The avatar is quite out of date. Username too.

Also holy shit. She was busy at the moment, and he went ahead and killed himself...... I would assume this might have been a recurring issue, and he didn't just give up that quickly. Geez.

[Foxaèr]

Also holy shit. She was busy at the moment, and he went ahead and killed himself...... I would assume this might have been a recurring issue, and he didn't just give up that quickly. Geez.

According to the article, she wasn't busy. She just didn't want to deal with him at that time.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

When my wife goes out of town for a fortnight, and people INCESSENTLY ask me, 'When's Ellen coming back?' to the point where I fantasize about smashing them in the face with a brick over and over and over until the moaning stops or the brick breaks, does that qualify as 'lonely'?

Boru

[Chad32]

Also holy shit. She was busy at the moment, and he went ahead and killed himself...... I would assume this might have been a recurring issue, and he didn't just give up that quickly. Geez.

According to the article, she wasn't busy. She just didn't want to deal with him at that time.

That is the saddest thing. Never bail on a friend.