“Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation 2023”- U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory

The U.S. Surgeon, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, went on a USA cross country tour and found many Americans “ felt isolated, invisible, and insignificant.” Dr. Murthy’s concerns with many Americans’ social disconnection and feelings of loneliness lead him to develop an advisory board for the purpose of seeking ways to increase social connection. This advisory board commenced with research and found that one of the largest societal contributors to increased loneliness and isolation was technology.  The advisory report stated:  “Americans spend an average of six hours per day on digital media and one-in-three U.S. adults 18 and over report that they are online ‘almost constantly’ ”.  It was found that digital media usage has displaced much of in-person engagement and has monopolized the attention of many people.

How to combat loneliness and Isolation?

The advisory report gave these helpful suggestions:

“• Invest time in nurturing your relationships through consistent, frequent, and high-quality engagement with others,

• Seek out opportunities to serve and support others, either by helping your family, co-workers, friends, or by participating in community service,

• Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional, and community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging,

• Reduce practices that lead to feelings of disconnection from others, including excessive social media use and disproportionate time in front of screens instead of people,

• Seek help during times of struggle with loneliness or isolation by reaching out to a family member, friend, counselor, health care provider, or the 988 crisis line.

To read the whole advisory report, go to https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf.