How To Fight Loneliness

A connection epidemic hits Connecticut

While CCM through the 119K Commission has been focusing on disconnected and at-risk youth, there has been a sister epidemic of loneliness that has gripped the nation. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy has put Connecticut at the head of the movement to tackle loneliness, and Governor Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz have taken steps to bring the conversation closer to our homes with a new commission. Like with disconnected youth, connection begins in our local communities, so towns and cities will have a major role to play in fighting loneliness.

This conversation was sparked by a report from the Surgeon General called “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” The implications of using language like the word “epidemic” here show that loneliness affects our health and well-being, even if it doesn’t seem like it would be that serious. Lt. Governor Bysiewicz said in a statement that this is on the same level as “public health crises like tobacco addiction, AIDS, drunk driving, obesity, and gun violence.”

The Social Connection Campaign started by the Governor’s Office will have a three pronged approach: Facilitate collaboration on an inter-agency basis to identify opportunities to foster greater social connection; Raise awareness of existing and new efforts by State Agencies that improve social connection; and Work with partners beyond state government (federal, municipal, nonprofit, private, grassroots orgs and the public) to identify gaps, opportunities, and ideas related to improving social connection.

Municipalities, of course, play an integral role in this. In a key part of the Surgeon General’s report, entitled “Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities,” it says that “Decisions about the layout of our cities, from the usability and reach of public transportation to the design of housing and green spaces, have direct effect on social interaction in a community.” Not only do towns and cities foster interaction by their very design, but many community programs have a “powerful role” in creating communities of connection.

Loneliness is a topic that will likely stick with us for a long time.

It will be a common refrain that despite having tools to keep us more connected than ever to more people than ever, it’s becoming clearer every year that there is no replacement for real and true human interactions. How we solve this epidemic is not clear, but it is a subject that towns and cities across Connecticut should continue to think about, or to start thinking about if they haven’t already.