The New Loneliness

by Mehmet Oz, MD & Michael Crupain, MD, MPH Today we are more connected than ever. Between social media, text messaging, and email, it feels like we are in almost constant communication with our "friends." Speaking of friends, we've never had more and we can effortlessly keep up with all of their wonderful lives with the mere flick of a thumb. With all of this connectivity, loneliness should be a thing of the past, right? This summer, with the help of expert political pollster Mike Berland (CEO of Berland Strategy & Analytics) we conducted a survey of women from all around the country to find out the state of women's health in America. The results surprised us: despite living in a hyper-connected world, women are actually more isolated than ever and subject to a new type of loneliness. Our nationally representative sample revealed that 60% of women have feelings of isolation or loneliness and 20% experience this state most or all of the time. This epidemic is extremely concerning, because it turns out that loneliness is more than just a feeling, it is actually a threat to your health. So while we are more connected then ever via our computers and mobile devices, how is it we may actually be drifting further apart? It's because we've replaced actual contact with virtual contact and it's leaving us dissatisfied. First, while social media can be a powerful tool for creating connections, it can also create an illusion of connectedness. There is more to friendship than just...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news