Loneliness is seen as the hidden epidemic that followed the pandemic. Young people are also affected: according to a study, around one in three Germans between the ages of 18 and 53 feel lonely nowadays, and in some cases excluded. In our interview, the study’s author Lena Frembs explains the reasons why and proposes some possible solutions.
In addition to the impact it had on health and the economic damage it caused, the coronavirus pandemic also had some invisible after-effects: the contact restrictions resulted in more and more people feeling lonely. Although the crisis is long past, this feeling remains strong – especially among young people. This was revealed by research conducted by Germany’s Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) during the period 2005 to 2022 (see below). Studies in other Western countries such as the USA regularly draw similar conclusions. A person who is lonely tends to feel misunderstood and excluded – even when they are among people. While lonely people are not necessarily alone, they want different social relationships.
Ms Frembs, loneliness is increasingly becoming a challenge for society. Why has the situation not normalized again now that all the contact restrictions that applied during the pandemic have been lifted?
Many people adopted unfavourable behavioural patterns during the pandemic. They got used to being alone, kept in touch with only those closest to them or withdrew into their families. Now they are finding it more difficult to return to their former behaviour, even though they know that this leaves them without key individuals around them. Habits are difficult to change, not only in such cases.
A feeling of loneliness is becoming more widespread even among young people. Why are many 18- to 29-year-olds lacking the usual personal contacts?
This is an age group in which many changes take place: it is a time when people finish school or vocational training, leave the parental home or move to another town. Normally, this automatically gives rise to many new contacts and friendships. The pandemic changed that. Young people withdrew or switched increasingly to digital communication – yet such contacts do not produce the same depth or bonds that personal encounters do.
“Loneliness is an issue in many countries, everywhere from the US to Japan and Australia.”
Are these trends a German phenomenon, or can they be observed in other countries too?
Loneliness is an issue in many countries. Similar developments can be observed everywhere from the US to Japan and Australia, and more and more governments are recognizing that loneliness is a societal problem. The United Kingdom even has a dedicated Loneliness Minister.
You distinguish between emotional and social loneliness. What is meant by these terms?
When we say that a person suffers from emotional loneliness, we mean that they lack intimate and meaningful relationships with people such as a spouse or partner, or indeed have no close friends. We talk of social loneliness when a person has no social support networks.
Which sectors of the population are particularly affected?
Loneliness is widespread among the older generation, though increasingly also among young adults. Furthermore, people with a low educational level and low income, or those with health issues, face a particularly high risk of being lonely. Those who live alone and single parents are also frequently affected. We have also discovered some gender differences: women tend to suffer from emotional loneliness while men are more often hit by social loneliness.
How can this difference be explained?
We only have a rudimentary idea of why this should be the case. Socialization and our gender culture probably play a role, as women are more likely to admit to feelings of emotional loneliness. They attach greater importance to forming bonds than men do, and are also more critical in examining their relationships. Because women typically continue to be responsible for caregiving and housework, they also tend more often to have the sense that they have been left alone with these tasks. In turn, men are taught not to show any weakness, which results in them being less able to admit to loneliness. They also attach more importance to functional relationships. As I say, however, these are only attempts at explanation – more research needs to be done in this area.
“Loneliness can also affect people who have lots of contacts.”
Who is failing here: is it the individuals themselves because they do not devote enough time to pursuing friendships or relationships? Or are there reasons that are beyond their control, i.e. that others are responsible for?
I wouldn’t use the word failure in this context. Loneliness comes about when there is a perceived discrepancy between the relationships that people want to have and those they actually have. This can also affect people who have lots of contacts. It is also not easy for those affected to react to this because loneliness can be painful and trigger social stress that causes people to withdraw. It’s difficult to get oneself out of this situation, and new relationships can only be established gradually.
The German government wants to use a whole host of different measures and campaigns to tackle the trend towards loneliness. After all, increasing loneliness can impact not only health, it can also affect social cohesion: lonely people are at greater risk of becoming isolated and politically or religiously radicalized. What can help those affected?
Firstly, everyone has to do their bit to help. People need to consider whether there is someone in their social circle who is withdrawing more and more – if so, they can for example offer to engage in joint activities with them. It is also important to be understanding if the person in question is reluctant at first to accept the help, as they may well be mistrustful of such offers at first. The state can promote social participation, for instance by bringing people together in neighbourhood networks. Greater awareness of the issue also needs to be raised. After all, suitable services for specific risk groups such as single parents, young adults or older citizens would be helpful.
About the study:
loneliness has increased among younger and middle-aged adults
According to analyses conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), one in three Germans aged between 18 and 53 felt lonely, at least some of the time, in the winter of 2022/2023. This figure surged when the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, affecting nearly half of those surveyed (47 percent) a year later. It has dropped slightly again in the meantime, though still remains high, especially among those under 30. People of low socio-economic status, those without German citizenship, single and separated parents and people who have been unemployed for a long period or have prolonged health problems face a higher risk of loneliness.
Chronic loneliness can have numerous impacts on the health of those affected, and lonely people are also at increased risk of becoming isolated and possibly becoming politically or religiously radicalized: “Growing loneliness in the population can therefore also pose a risk to democracy because it can jeopardize internal social cohesion.”
Link to the BiB study (in German only).
08/2024