Loneliness can be combatted by reconnecting with social lifelines.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that high-quality social connections are essential to our mental and physical health and our well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are widespread, with an estimated one in four older people experiencing social isolation and between 5 and 15% of adolescents experiencing loneliness.
A large body of research shows that social isolation and loneliness have a serious impact on physical and mental health, quality of life, and longevity. The effect of social isolation and loneliness on mortality is comparable to that of other well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Social isolation and loneliness do not just harm individuals; they also have a negative impact on entire communities and societies.
Even before the pandemic, loneliness was a concern.
As per the results of the The Global State of Social Connections survey by Gallup and Meta, 72% of the people felt “very” or “fairly” connected to others; 6% did not feel connected “at all” to other people. Nearly a quarter (24%) of the global population felt “very” or “fairly” lonely, while 49% said they were not lonely “at all.”

Link to the original story: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/battling-loneliness-by-reconnecting-social-lifelines/article67637315.ece