Please say hello to me
Loneliness — the silent killer
Long before Covid 19 brought the world to a standstill another epidemic was silently present — acute loneliness and isolation. Alas, the paradox of a more interconnected world that leads to greater isolation and disruption to modes of communication continues to perplex us.
According to the CDC loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide, and in the UK, according to The Campaign to End Loneliness, in 2022 a deeply concerning 49.63% of adults reported feeling lonely sometimes, often, or always.
Though there is no perfect solution to such startling figures something intriguing has been successfully implemented in the Netherlands.
It was reported that one in three people feel lonely in the Netherlands. In 2019, Jumbo Supermarket, a supermarket chain, aimed to help combat loneliness with ‘“Kletskassa,” (chit-chat checkout), where the conversation is encouraged. When was the last time you spoke to a stranger by choice?
Private Witt: Do you ever get lonely?
First Sgt. Edward Welsh : …..Only around people.
The Thin Red Line (1998)
