Research discusses why the way we talk about solitude might be making us lonelier
Study: How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56764-3)
In an era of hyperconnectivity, loneliness has been declared a global epidemic with significant consequences for mental and physical health. Public health campaigns and media discussions have long sought to combat this crisis-but could they be making it worse?
New University of Michigan research reveals a paradox: How the media portrays solitude-though well-intentioned-may exacerbate loneliness by negatively influencing people's beliefs about being alone.
A deep dive into 144 news articles from leading U.S. newspapers, published between 2020 and 2022, uncovered a striking trend: Solitude is overwhelmingly depicted as a negative, even dangerous state. These stories are 10 times more likely to describe being alone as more harmful than beneficial.
"Widespread public discourse about the dangers of being alone may be doing more harm than good," said lead author and U-M social psychology graduate student Micaela Rodriguez
