DEALING WITH LONELINESS AFTER 50 – THE SIXTY AND ME 2020 SURVEY RESULTS

Loneliness is a large and complex issue. Despite so many convenient ways to connect, including texting, social media and FaceTime, we're the most socially connected society in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. Sadly, at some point in your life it is likely you will feel this terrible emotion. If you are fortunate not to, someone you know will.

Last year, the Sixty and Me 2019 Loneliness survey results showed people don't just want more people in their lives, they want the right people in their lives. They want intimacy, not interaction. True connections, not just surface level contacts. It was real proof that loneliness isn't the same as social isolation.

It is clear from this year's results that little has changed and loneliness is still a big issue for the Sixty and Me community. What's more, the Covid-19 pandemic has made it worse. The results show an increase from 75% of people feeling lonely in 2019 to over 85% in 2020, with a huge 78% of people surveyed saying the pandemic has amplified their feelings of loneliness.

It's a topic we all need to do more about. By starting these conversations, we hope that people who feel lonely can see they are not alone. In the meantime, reach out to someone today. Say hello, call a family member you haven't spoken to in a while, or speak with a friend. You might just find you make their day and help yours.

Here are the results of the 2020 Sixty and Me Dealing with Loneliness survey: https://sixtyandme.com/dealing-with-loneliness-after-50-2020-survey-results/ 

Sixty and Me is free to join and participate in. There are daily articles, a very active Facebook group and new videos from founder Margaret Manning at least 4 times a week.

Discover more at https://sixtyandme.com/start/ , good orientation of what the community can offer.