The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That’s Pulling Apart represents years of research into social disconnection and its attendant consequences.After more than eighteen months of rolling lockdowns, it’s hard to imagine a more timely book than Noreena Hertz’s latest.represents years of research into social disconnection and its attendant consequences, from poor physical health to populist politics – all of which has been accelerated by the pandemic’s extreme isolation.
There are clear correlations between loneliness and the rising levels of anxiety and depression that we are seeing across the globe, but loneliness also has a very profound physical impact. We were never designed to be alone. In evolutionary terms, if you think about hunter gatherers operating in tribes, being together was really a matter of safety. Our bodies have evolved so that when we feel lonely, we go into a state of high alert.
In Japan, the fastest growing demographic of people being incarcerated is the over-65s. Researchers believe that a key reason for this is extremely high levels of loneliness. Japan was a country where traditionally the elderly would move in with children, and there was a care provided by kin.
A disproportionate amount of people who vote for right-wing populists are lonely. When we are lonely, we have a greater propensity to see the world as a hostile, threatening place. We are also more likely to see outsiders as threats. So, the socially isolated are vulnerable to politicians who depict the world this way. Part of it is the political message.