ARTE Europe Weekly

Generation Isolation: How to break the loneliness epidemic

11 min

Available until 30/07/2026

The World Health Organisation says that teenagers and young adults suffer from loneliness far more than people over the age of 60. This is more than a societal issue – it’s a public health crisis. Feeling lonely can be just as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It also poses a risk to our democracy. Loneliness makes people more susceptible to right-wing populist ideology, misogynistic and racist ideas, and conspiracy theories. So why are young people – who are arguably more connected than any generation before them – so lonely? Are smartphones and social media to blame? And what can be done about it?

Country

France

Year

2024

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