Everyone has most likely experienced loneliness at some point in their lives, but has loneliness become a problem in the nation? Vivek H. Murthy, the surgeon general, looked into this problem in his Op. Ed. article “Surgeon General: We Have Become a Lonely Nation”. It’s Time to Fix That.” Much of the article, published by The New York Times, talks about how the greatest challenges of this generation are the crisis of loneliness and isolation. The Op. Ed. urges that reconstructing social connections in the nation is a top public health priority (Murthy). The author effectively persuaded his target audience through personal experiences and the experiences of others impacted, and he used a clear, logical argument and his credentials to demonstrate …show more content…
One experience the author uses is his struggle with loneliness during his first stint as surgeon general. He explains, "It might not have been so bad had I not made a critical mistake: I had largely neglected my friendships during my tenure, convincing myself that I had to focus on work and I couldn't do both" (Murthy). Using these experiences, the author is able to bring out many emotions in his target audience. Sharing this information about himself helps the target audience relate to and empathize with the author since he shares such a personal experience. Others may have experienced this type of loneliness in their own lives. This type of persuasive appeal effectively draws the audience in and shows them how the epidemic of loneliness can affect an individual. In the article, the author also uses the experiences of others impacted to show how loneliness can affect a person's life. Murthy starts his article by sharing the story of one of his patients who won the lottery, but instead of making the man in the story happy, he feels alone and isolated. Murthy states, "Wealthy but alone, this once vivacious, social man no longer knew his neighbors and had lost touch with his former co-workers. He soon developed high blood pressure and diabetes" (Murthy). This evidence shows the effects that loneliness can have on people. By sharing this story, Murthy can show the audience how loneliness doesn’t just affect a person's mental well-being; it can have life-threatening effects on their physical well-being. Murthy states, “When people are socially disconnected, their risk of anxiety and depression increases. So does their risk of heart disease (29 percent), dementia (50 percent), and stroke (32 percent).” The author compares the premature risk of death that comes from loneliness to smoking daily (Murthy). This story also helps
Teens’ feelings of loneliness spiked in 2013 and have remained high since”(page 64). She has a Ph.D. in psychology which helped her establish Ethos. Twenge then collects data and performs interviews in order to form logos. She then appeals to human emotions by explaining how smartphones can drive families apart and cause mental illness in teenagers.
Russell (1978), (http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jedp/article/download/46795/25238) established the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scale, which has been widely employed to this day, and performed a theoretical factor analysis for loneliness. His research and results attracted broad attention around the world. Loneliness can be studied by three approaches: the cognitive process approach, the human needs approach and the behavioral approach. The cognitive process approach emphasizes an individual’s mental awareness and assesses his or her social
If someone told you that social isolation kills more people than obesity does, would you believe it (Olien)? Social isolation can go beyond the idea of someone locking themselves in their room and not interacting with anyone (physical isolation). It can also be when someone is not feeling connected to society or a certain person (emotional isolation). In fact, in the short story “To Room Nineteen” by Doris Lessing, the protagonist of the story, Susan, found herself needing frequent absences from her family which eventually drove her to commit suicide. People isolate themselves for many different reasons and this feeling of isolation can very much lead to death. Social isolation is a serious medical condition and there are many effects on the mind that can come along which can eventually lead to voluntary and/or involuntary death.
“what have we learned.” To prevent any kind of confusion, Waldinger divides what he has learned from this study into three lessons. He reinforces the big value of relations with some metaphors: “the experience of loneliness turns out to be toxic.” He wants to convey how threatening the loneliness is. “loneliness kills.” To stop any doubt that his metaphor is exaggerated, he supports it with evidences, facts and detailed surveys: “more than one in five Americans will report that they're lonely,” “The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.” These surveys and facts mainly support not only his point but also his aim beyond that talk. The power of relationships: “good relationships keep us happier and healthier.” He also illustrates the previous point by reports from the study: “Our most happily partnered men and women reported, in their 80s, that on the days when they had more physical pain, their mood stayed just as happy. But the people who were in unhappy relationships, on the days when they reported more physical pain, it was magnified by more emotional pain.” Additionally, he illustrates how the relationships can keep us healthier: “High-conflict marriages, for example, without much affection, turn out to be very bad for our health, perhaps worse than getting divorced. And living in the midst of good, warm relationships is protective.” Waldinger develops that the relationships do not just protect physical health, they protect brains: “the people who are in relationships where they really feel they can count on the other person in times of need, those people's memories stay sharper longer. And the people in relationships where they feel they really can't count on the other one, those are the people who experience earlier memory
1.: ¨The association of loneliness with lower quality of life, reduced independence with activities of living and increased cardiovascular disease emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of people for companionship and a sense of belonging¨ (While 332). 2. : Loneliness can create a lower quality of life, with less exercise and more risks of illnesses. Companions give company and reduce risks of mental illnesses, such as depression, which can be developed from feeling alone.
The first influential factor to the atrophy of social life that Eitzen writes about is moving away. Americans nowadays are always on the go – if moving is the most convenient idea, they will move with no regard to formed relationships that will soon be broken. People are often forced to move in order to follow a job or because of problems within the family. Constantly moving about causes a decline in intimate relationships. This is also true in people who live alone. The lack of regular and reliable social interaction can lead to a less sociable personality and less motivation to form real relationships. Real relationships are what lead to a healthy social life.
Several studies also asserted that loneliness is correlated with aging itself (Tijhuis et al, 1999; Victor et al, 2000) and that there was a gradual increase in loneliness up to the age of 90 (Holmen, 1992). This increasing trend can be attributed to interactions with other factors due to additive nature of risk factors for loneliness and social isolation (Victor et al, 2000).
This model believes that an individual may be free from disease or physical injury however social factors that surrounds a person will determine their wellbeing. In the social dimension of health a person has to be able to interact with people, such as friends and family. According to Antonia C. Lyons and Kerry Chamberlain (2006) Health Psychology a Critical introduction ‘studies have demonstrated an association between what is called social integration and physical health, including mortality rates’. The skill to be able to build healthy relationships may give an individual a positive self-image. Poor social skills may mean that an individual may become isolated or stressed. If an individual becomes stressed and isolated they will be free of disease as they will be physically and mentally fit, however the stress will contribute to the health status of the individual. According to Charles L. Sheridan and Sally A. Radmacher (1992) Health psychology challenging the biomedical model ‘attributes like strength, health and attractiveness can be helpful in coping with
Reagan Hubbell Professor Cantrell ENGL 1113 29 February 2024 Alex Morris in her article “The Price of Isolation,” discusses how during the Covid 19 pandemic we have worsened the ongoing “epidemic of loneliness,” and how that has affected our mental health. She explains that we are social animals and need each other and is worried that this will hurt our physical health as well. Alex Morris creates compelling arguments through credibility by demonstrating knowledge and her professional background. Through experts and factual evidence, also by giving an emotional appeal to humanity. Alex Morris is very knowledgeable and persuasive.
The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachment as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. DeWall, C. N., Baumeister, R. F. (2006). Alone but feeling no pain: Effects of social exclusion on physical pain tolerance and pain threshold, affective forecasting, and interpersonal empathy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(1), 1-15.
This emphasizes how loneliness can surpass the mortality risk of several well known factors, and how detrimental isolation can actually be. Because of isolation, proper social connection and support is not available, leading to unhealthy behaviors such as fatigue, weight gain, and chronic pain. In addition, Walbert Waldinger states that, “Loneliness is a stressor. And because it correlates with reduced social activity, that can mean you’re not being exposed to or accessing healthy behaviors as much”(Gehrman). This supports that “loneliness is a stressor” which can lead to multiple harmful outcomes to one’s overall health because they don't have that emotional, or physical support that they need from social interaction.
Social media, therefore, limits a person social connection. The best manner of dealing with social loneliness and emotional loneliness involves creating physical relationships with people that would change our lives and perception of the
A key component of this essay is to evaluate the risks and consequences of ignoring the signs of social isolation and how to promote social engagement through practices and strategies. There are four main topics that will be examined that include: best practice standards to prevent morbidity and promote health, ways to assess health capacity of older adults, strategies that can be implemented, and ultimately community resources will be referenced. Best Practice Standards The onset of social isolation can lead to various outcomes. Depression is common occurrence for those that feel socially isolated from their peers.
The Influence of Loneliness on the Need to Belong: Activation of Loneliness Stressing the Need to Belong Humans have a primary desire for forming social bonds with other human beings. Humans form relationships with others without examining the positive and negative outcomes at their first encounter. The need to belong is embedded instinctually within humans. For example, bonds are created in early stages of a human's life, starting at early- childhood, when a child isn't capable of understanding the cost to a relationship he/ she is creating (Atwood, 1975).
Valuable relationships are lost due to deficiency of a face-to-face connection. Not only does it mean slowly losing friends or family members, it means losing people you can surround yourself with for vulnerable and lonely times. " In 1985, only 10% of Americans said they had no one with whom to discuss important matters, and 15% said they only had one such good friend. By 2004, 25% had nobody to talk to, and 20% had only one