Now, after almost three years of intermittent isolation, we want to resume our daily lives in 2023… but is it a good thing to wish ourselves, if we feel that we have not made any changes promoting the creation of a spirit of community ?
For me, the year 2022 will have been the year of loneliness. Many people already seem to have forgotten this, but the first days of 2022 were spent under strict lockdown rules (and a curfew!). Everyone at home, we “celebrated” the arrival of the new year with our family bubble, for those who were lucky enough to have one. The fact of having forgotten these moments so quickly is in itself a fine example of collective resilience.
But now this return to relative post-pandemic normality does not seem to have been accompanied by a deep reflection on what should be changed in our lives, both individually and collectively. An essential question remains unanswered: what should we do to fight against this epidemic of loneliness which was already, before March 2020, wreaking great havoc in our society?
social creatures
Even before the pandemic, the magnitude of the harms of loneliness was highlighted, whether by a meta-analysis of nearly 150 studies carried out with 300,000 people and by several other authors, including Dr. Vivek H. Murphy, who served as U.S. Administrator of Public Health from 2014 to 2017.
Did you know that, according to science, suffering from loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Testifying to the importance of the subject, the United Kingdom even created its “Ministry of Solitude” in 2018 to tackle this serious public health problem.
Conversely, according to scientific research, living your life with a strong sense of social integration is one of the most important factors of longevity and well-being! Other communities, all over the world, have already understood and integrated it very well. Let us think in particular of the communities forming the famous Blue Zones…
In short, even before the outbreak of this COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness and its innumerable consequences on psychological as well as physical health weighed heavily on our society. It’s scientifically proven.
Despite this, we struggle to recognize that we are social creatures, who need to connect with each other to thrive, and to act accordingly. Have we really taken a moment to measure our level of loneliness, to see the extent of the damage, and then to determine what we should change to aspire to more well-being?
Win time
The past few years have certainly brought an array of small revolutions promising to give us back more time to regain control of our busy schedules.
Thus, we are now delighted to be able to telecommute without having to undergo endless travel. You pay for your holiday shopping in a few clicks while sitting comfortably on your sofa. Young students can now hope to complete their university studies without ever having to meet face-to-face with their colleagues or even their teachers. And for the past few days, we have even been able to use a new artificial intelligence interface to solve our most complex questions in a few seconds, without even having to bother a friend or read on the subject!
But all this time saved, what is it now for? Can we really defend the thesis that we feel relieved by these changes? Above all, can we claim that we tend towards a lifestyle where solidarity, social support, collaboration and empathy are our levers to create more well-being while reducing suffering? My humble observations of the moment lead me to believe not.
If it is true that the first step in solving a problem is to recognize its existence, how can we eliminate the scourge of loneliness if we do not tackle the question together? For this, I hope that 2023 will become the year of collective reflection. Let’s reflect together on our level of loneliness, then recognize that it is urgent to intervene. Why not even make this fight against loneliness an integral part of a more global social project?
In any case, we deserve better as a “unifying project” than trying to “close the wealth gap with Ontario within 15 years”! To become as rich as the neighbors, is that really our great post-pandemic dream? Am I alone who dreamed of something grander for all of us during my endless lockdowns? I dare to believe not.
Otherwise, when ChatGPT has developed the ability to answer my most specific questions, with wisdom and an almost human sensitivity, who can I count on, alone in front of my screen, to put a hand on my shoulder and say in a reassuring voice: “It’s going to be fine, you’re not completely alone”?