The Loneliness Epidemic

Loneliness is literally killing us – increasing our risk of death by 32%, yet we treat it like a personal weakness rather than the health crisis it really is.

As this recent article https://lightcapai.medium.com/the-loneliness-epidemic-threatens-physical-health-like-smoking-e063220dde8b powerfully describes, our bodies react to loneliness "like being hunted by a wolf," while millions quietly suffer behind closed doors in a world we've somehow built to make disconnection feel normal.

Let's talk about what's really happening to human connection in our time, and what we might do about it.

Have you noticed changes in how people connect with each other compared to 10 years ago? What specific differences stand out to you?
The author mentions Turkish family culture where "being alone was practically impossible."

How do different cultures you're familiar with handle social connection and isolation? Why might someone with hundreds of social media connections still feel deeply lonely? What's the difference between online and in-person connection?

The article states that your body treats loneliness "like you're being hunted by a wolf." Should we start treating loneliness as a medical condition rather than just an emotional state? What would that look like?
With UK's social prescribing generating £3.42 in healthcare savings per £1 invested, should governments fund loneliness interventions like they fund physical infrastructure?

The author writes about "how we've built a world where feeling disconnected is normal." What specific aspects of modern society's structure actively promote loneliness, and how could we redesign them?