Trends — Connection.
“I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.”
— Anais Nin
Have you noticed there’s a lack of romcoms these days?
I’m not suggesting the pretty woman, a prostitute becomes a billionaire’s wife type of romcom, I mean those great coming of age love stories with a poignancy and truthfulness that felt both natural and widely sentimental.
It’s no wonder most people have lost their ability to connect.
A recent poll from YouGov, a polling firm and market research company, found that 30 percent of millennials say they feel lonely.
Loneliness is killing us and it’s making me sad.
I blame social media. The irony that you most likely found this article on social media isn’t lost on me but hopefully this post leads to a more meaningful connections moving forward, feel free to say hi!
It seems ridiculous that the generation that grew up in the “social” world, graduating from MySpace to Facebook and Instagram, has trouble with loneliness but in fact, the connection with social media and depression is well documented.
22% of millennials said they had zero friends.
22% of millennials said they had zero friends. 27% said they had “no close friends,” 30% said they have “no best friends,” and 25% said they have no acquaintances.
In comparison, just 16% of Gen Xers and 9% of baby boomers say they have no friends.
A friend of mine, recently gave me a notebook with the above Anais Nin quote on the front – it was moving for a few reasons. The fact she knew I am a mermaid at heart with a passion for poetry with a secret addiction to notebooks. As a travelling gypsy since the age of 17, my friends have become my family – without them I wouldn’t have been able to recover from surgeries, build a business or embark on healthy debate.
Experts found that people with good friends tend to have stronger immune systems and anti-inflammatory responses, that can lead to quicker wound healing and reduce the risk of illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and some cancers.
Social Media has been a car crash for our collective and individual social relations, and their job is to keep us addicted.
Loneliness is a topic I have been watching for a long time, since working with the over 55s friendship community – Chirpy Plus (also co-founded by my fiancé - full disclosure). Regardless of the connection, I’m very proud to be associated with such a life changing company.
Millennials constantly insult them but as usual gen xers and boomers are pioneering the connection space and reinventing the landscape of online connection.
With over 23,000 members, Chirpy Plus is combatting loneliness for our older generation and keeping them healthy in the process – something it seems everyone needs.