There is a epidemic of lonliness in the USA why is this?

My mother, as intelligent as she’s always been, hasn’t had any interest in computers or the internet. It’s not necessarily an age thing, Pop is older and used to build them. I gave him an IPad for his 83rd birthday, then updated it last year, and he’s never without it. The lockdown was very difficult for Mom and as an extrovert she missed being with her friends. Zoom didn’t cut it for her. She reluctantly FaceTimed with me and my middle sister—my niece showed her how to accept a three-way chat.
But I do think that conditions last year exacerbated her illness. 😞

Two things have happened simultaneously. Advent of internet and cell phones and an increase in individualistic lifestyle. Can't say both are related but the latter is a bigger reason (lack of proper family structure). But it's a good thing. We are in a stage between traditional family structures and enlightened individuals and are having difficulty transitioning. We want to have a productive life with everything according to how we want things to be without any compromise but still want other people to be in it. In traditional family structures, there had to be some compromises on the part of every individual.


Also,....

From what little I have seen of USA, the environment had a lonely feeling to it. The towns and cities are extremely big compared to the number of people that live in it. Now I am a loner and rarely talk to anyone IRL but if you are in a land where people are found mostly in cars and buildings and rarely on streets (with the exception of really busy streets) and where you hear sounds of transportation systems and other machines more than people or nature, you are going to get a bit of a lonely vibe.

Population density doesn't need to be more. Even if you are in a jungle alone you feel connection somehow because of all the life you see around you but empty big concrete structures can give a sense of loneliness.

So internet and cell phones and people glued to them could be just a symptom of loneliness or a small part of the reason. But overall I don't want things to go back but we could be moving towards a better but different future where all individual lives are expressed fully and yet there's no loneliness and no friction between different individuals.

The internet and phone can't take away the lack of seeing people and hugging them..everyone blames thee net for every problem but there are OFF switches on devices

I think it's from all ages. Though in this case lockdowns don't help either.

I think people have become so used to being able to communicate that they have become jaded and now are disgusted by other people. But at the same time they have the instinct and drive to reach out to someone. But when they do, that triggers their apathy which triggers their loneliness which triggers their apathy and on and on and on.

A history of being taken advantage of by those who are disrespectful, dishonest and not trust worthy keeps people from reaching out and making connections with others.

I have never perceived a feeling of loneliness when I was alone in a forest; but I felt lonesome and forlorn when I was alone in a big city. Lonesome, within a crowd of 10,000 people.
Not sure whether that's relevant, regarding your question.

Not surprised.. When people spend half their lives with their heads buried in the mobile phones on social media and have no real flesh friends how can anyone be surprised that so many people are lonely?

People are doing their absolute best to live isolated lives..

It’s curious no that when America was a wilderness everyone was roughty -toughty about it. And now there’s services, wifi and 24hr news people are lonely.

We learn from all these answers that modern city life makes a person feel lonely.

We see so many happy people with better social life that might make us feel comparatively lonely . In forest there are no people.

Cell phones and internet can not bring you the depth of connections needed to feel belonged. A lot of socialising in internet is shallow. Not doing things with family and friends brings a little distance and a feeling of loneliness.
It's not just in USA.

I think that's everywhere tbh, I remember talking to someone who lived in a house full of people and he told me he feels lonely often

And books have been and will be written about this, but with technology comes isolation.

Community is a social construct based on survival needs. It used to be that in order to survive yourself oh, you had to ensure that the rest of your tribe survived, too.

Today, I could easily live on my own with people simply leaving supplies on a front doorstep and access to the internet. And isolation is a funny thing - once it gets a taste of your brain, it can pretty much set up shop as it likes.

I think technology can provide something of an illusion in being able to connect with people immediately who are not right there, though I think there might be something in human nature that benefits a lot more from face-to-face, and that's now happening less, yes, partly due to tech... Just my thoughts.

what does loneliness mean to you?

Same reason there's a depression epidemic, too much dopamine from your phone so now you need constant stimulation. If some people don't get likes on their post for a full hour they WILL start crying.

Lack of money maybe