Loneliness is one of the hidden blights of society, and has largely been ignored during coronavirus lockdowns that have forced even greater isolation upon many than would ordinarily have been the case.

New research, undertaken by Exeter, Manchester and Brunel universities as part of the BBC Loneliness Experiment, aims to understand what kind of people are most vulnerable to loneliness.

The study, which was based on responses from around 46,000 people from around the world, suggests that young men in individualistic societies are most prone to loneliness.  What’s more, there was no real evidence that loneliness increases with age.

“Contrary to what people may expect, loneliness is not a predicament unique to older people,” the researchers say.  “In fact, younger people report greater feelings of loneliness.  Since loneliness stems from the sense that one’s social connections are not as good as desired, this might be due to the different expectations younger and older people hold.”

Gender gap

The data did suggest a clear gender divide, with men finding it especially hard to own up to feeling lonely for fear of stigmatization.  When that specific word isn’t used, however, it was more likely for men to admit to feeling lonely than women.

The researchers believe that the breadth of responses, which came in from 237 different countries, allows them to really dive into the various cultural factors underpinning loneliness.

“This is particularly important because evidence for cultural differences in loneliness is very mixed and culture can affect actual and desired social interactions in opposite directions,” they say.  “In addition, it can be argued that admitting to feeling lonely is also more stigmatising in individualistic societies, where people are expected to be self-reliant and autonomous.”

The researchers believe that the coronavirus pandemic sheds a fresh light on the issue, with various social changes having a significant impact on young people.  The researchers state that while these people are probably able to use technology to develop and maintain social relationships, these virtual relationships can act as a replacement rather than an extension, which can help to enhance our feelings of loneliness.