Yesterday, Cambridge Public Health welcomed audiences to the Cambridge Festival event “The Lonely Planet: Are We Experiencing a New Global Health Crisis?” Bringing together researchers from across disciplines, the discussion explored the causes, experiences and wider impacts of loneliness, and why it is becoming an increasingly important issue across all stages of life.
Professor Gordon Harold opened the event by setting the scene, highlighting the challenge of defining loneliness clearly – a necessary step if we are to understand it better and provide effective support. Dr Iris Ji then spoke about the importance of connection, encouraging the audience to think about loneliness not as a personal failure, but as a signal that can help us understand what we need, without shame.
Georgia Turner explored how social media can influence experiences of loneliness, drawing on perspectives from young people. Her talk suggested that the ways people engage online may reveal more about mental health and wellbeing than time spent on social media alone. Dr Saleyha Ahsan reflected on the importance of finding the story in research when communicating complex issues such as loneliness.
Together, the speakers offered a thoughtful and timely discussion of how loneliness is experienced and understood in an age of rapid technological change.
This is an important topic that Cambridge Public Health will focus on more in the future. To stay up to date with our work and hear about future events, sign up to our newsletter.