A very important article about a significant problem hiding in plain sight. Several of my neighbors in my Chicago high-rise condominium live alone, as do others in my community. I don't know if they are lonely or to what degree loneliness affects them.
This sentence resonated with me: 'Certainly, every choice we make in our lives ripples out to some far shore, only to bounce back with consequences.' But rather than pointing fingers and assigning blame, what better thought can we hold for Paul Rousseau (and millions of others)? We hear a lot these days about how AI technology might alleviate the problem (but of course...).
I suppose that, without any humans to connect with, an ethically designed human-like substitute that protects one's privacy and data might be better than nothing. Religious and secular organizations and social formations that allow people to seek out human social companionship safely and in ways that transcend physical and mental limitations, have existed for ever, so it seems.
Perhaps we should focus on making these organizations more welcoming and helping them spread the word to increase their reach, so that more people who suffer loneliness can overcome whatever barriers they might have and try to connect.
We couldn't agree with you more, Ezra. Time and again, the key to staving off lonliness is social connection. The very idea of employers being willing to hire "seniors" is a step in the right direction; if an older person has the chance to become a contributor again, everyone benefits and lonliness loses. And that's just one example. Thanks for your comments, Ezra!
Excellent article. Loneliness among older adults, especially men, is an epidemic. More than most people realize. I live in that world and will be sharing my story about this in a few weeks.
A very important article about a significant problem hiding in plain sight. Several of my neighbors in my Chicago high-rise condominium live alone, as do others in my community. I don't know if they are lonely or to what degree loneliness affects them.
This sentence resonated with me: 'Certainly, every choice we make in our lives ripples out to some far shore, only to bounce back with consequences.' But rather than pointing fingers and assigning blame, what better thought can we hold for Paul Rousseau (and millions of others)? We hear a lot these days about how AI technology might alleviate the problem (but of course...).
I suppose that, without any humans to connect with, an ethically designed human-like substitute that protects one's privacy and data might be better than nothing. Religious and secular organizations and social formations that allow people to seek out human social companionship safely and in ways that transcend physical and mental limitations, have existed for ever, so it seems.
Perhaps we should focus on making these organizations more welcoming and helping them spread the word to increase their reach, so that more people who suffer loneliness can overcome whatever barriers they might have and try to connect.
We couldn't agree with you more, Ezra. Time and again, the key to staving off lonliness is social connection. The very idea of employers being willing to hire "seniors" is a step in the right direction; if an older person has the chance to become a contributor again, everyone benefits and lonliness loses. And that's just one example. Thanks for your comments, Ezra!
Excellent article. Loneliness among older adults, especially men, is an epidemic. More than most people realize. I live in that world and will be sharing my story about this in a few weeks.
I’ll be very interested to read it, Vernon.