Fighting Loneliness and the Digitally Divided
Loneliness Pandemic (2020) Gabriella Warren-Smith.
For many, the conditions of the COVID-19 lockdown are surprisingly sociable. After experiencing the initial social dip of the first week or so of isolation, my own calendar is becoming increasingly full with digital meet-ups, sometimes planned weeks ahead. Meetings on Skype and Zoom leave me with similar hangovers to the dinner parties they’ve replaced, and my once absent presence on social media has made a stark re-appearance in the form of piano performance videos, posts of drawings, and even dare I say it, mood updates.
Having always considered myself an IRL (in real-life) gal through and through, digital technology has proven essential in staying connected with friends and family, without losing the intimacy and warmth of prior communication. Where these tools were once criticised for their negative impact on face-to-face communication, they have become a communal lifeline worldwide.
But whilst I remain positive, I’m also aware that my unique and fortunate situation helps me avoid one of the most dangerous impacts of the coronavirus: loneliness.
The question I keep asking myself is; what will happen to the four billion individuals in the world with no access to digital technology or a reliable internet connection (1)? Prior to COVID-19, they’ll have already experienced the cut in opportunities that connectivity offers; buying goods or services online; managing online banking; and meeting the changing demands of the workplace and economy. But with the recent changes of our 2020 pandemic, digital technology has become an integral tool for connecting with others. Losing access to people could have severe repercussions for one’s mental health and wellbeing.
We’ve known for a long time that there will be a cruxpoint in the future where everything will be online, we just didn’t know it would be so soon. In the past, policy makers and cooperations like The World Economic Forum have discussed strategies to avoid segregation between the two digital classes of humans. As the pandemic forces society online, it’s beginning to feel like it’s too late.
In the least-developed countries (LDCS) only one in five people use the internet (2), making them one of the most vulnerable groups to the human and economic consequences of coronavirus (3). Africa suffered with the collapse of their undersea network cables, dragging down mobile and landline data speeds nationwide. In low income areas of America, school students without access to WiFi struggle as their education moves online. And elderly generations across the globe, who are statistically less digitally literate, are forced into isolation from their friends and family.
Of course, loneliness isn’t something that just affects vulnerable people, it’s a physical health risk for everyone. In a recent podcast, Ezra Klein points out that being quarantined with no clear end point sets off stress levels in the body, making individuals more afraid and hyper-vigilant (2). He explains that with time, these physical reactions cause all types of health risks, such as a 50% increase in the likelihood of dementia, or a 25% increase in cancer mortality. Being lonely and isolated is therefore a very serious health risk that we should all be wary of.
For many, the allotted hour a day of exercise can feel like medicine for an aching body and closed mind kept indoors. Most of us know that connecting with nature is good for one’s mental health, as it helps one think retrospectively, and increases senses of affection and playfulness (4). But in cities, green spaces are far and few between, and parks are becoming increasingly crowded. And what happens if you can’t physically leave your house? Well it turns out that watching nature on a screen can produce some of the same effects as seeing it in person.
In 2017, BBC Earth and the University of California Berkeley revealed the results of ‘The Real Happiness Project’. Their study showed that connecting with nature on a laptop, TV or smartphone, has a direct impact on the mood and wellbeing of viewers, increasing emotions of awe, contentment, joy and amusement (5). At the same time, it also provoked a decrease in emotions such as nervousness, anxiety, fear and stress. This is just one example of how our screens can provide a substitute for what we are missing and once took for granted in the world outside of our homes.
One important hormone that locked-up dwellers might miss is oxytocin. Also known as the ‘love molecule’ or ‘cuddle hormone’, this is the substance in our body which increases with touch. When you’re touched, your skin receives pressure stimulation, and the pressure receptors are sent to the vagus nerve in the brain (6). This nerve bundle, also known as ‘the wanderer’ is linked to several organs in the body, including the heart. Hand holding and cuddling have proven to lower blood pressure and heart rate, suggesting that they decrease stress. As experimental psychologist Matt Hertenstein explains, ‘it really lays the biological foundation and structure for connecting to other people’ (ibid).
I first came across oxytocin whilst reading Mind Change (2014) by Susan Greenfield, who discussed how increasing levels of screen engagement could reduce oxytocin production, ultimately maximising feelings of loneliness (7). Social distancing and segregation has removed touch from many individual’s lives, and could be a further contributor to higher levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone. However, all is not lost. In addition to touch, psychologist Paul J. Zak also recommends baths and social media, which are scientifically proven instigators for oxytocin release (8).
I have only scratched the surface of a very serious subject. Loneliness and stress are core psychological symptoms of the coronavirus lockdown, and we must try to use the tools we have at hand to conquer them. I speak as a privileged individual who lives with her partner, and is lucky enough to be connected online. As well as ourselves, we must think of those who are vulnerable to these psychological impacts, due to their; living situation; mental health; or economic status. If we cannot hold the hands of others, we must find ways of using technology to metaphorically and physically connect, fighting the potential isolation of our 2020 lockdown.
References
1) Identity in a digital world (2016) World Economic Forum. [online report]. Available online.
2) Klein, E (2020) The Loneliness Pandemic. Today, Explained. [podcast]. Available online.
3) Porumbescu, G (2020) The digital divide leaves millions at a disadvantage during the coronavirus pandemic. The Conversation. Available online.
4) Harris, M (200) The Benefits of Solitude. The Walrus. Available online.
5) BBC Media Centre (2017) Watching nature programmes makes you happier new research reveals. BBC. Available online.
6) Trudeau, M (2010) Human Connections Start with a Friendly Touch. NPR. Available online.
7) Greenfield, G (2014) Mind Change. Rider.
8) Zak, P. J (2013) The Top 10 Ways to Boost Good Feelings. Psychology Today. Available online.
