Loneliness caused by smartphones: WHO warns of a silent crisis

Do you know what loneliness feels like? No? Then you're probably not a teenager and don't belong to the older generation. For a long time, older and elderly people shaped our image of loneliness – a partner has died, a former circle of friends has shrunk. Lack of mobility and physical disabilities do the rest.

The fact that older people are pushed to the margins of society and social participation depends largely on their own initiative is bad enough. The fact that we as a society are doing nothing to address the problem, even though everyone has been aware of the pain of loneliness since the coronavirus pandemic, makes it all the worse. Even today, one in three older people is socially isolated, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) . These figures apply worldwide but largely coincide with those in this country.

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However, a recent development also shows that adolescents suffer from loneliness almost as frequently. According to the WHO, one in four is socially isolated. Loneliness is therefore no longer just a problem for the elderly, but increasingly also for younger generations. This hasn't just been the case since the pandemic, although it certainly acted as a catalyst. This is also confirmed by a survey conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) last year: "In the post-pandemic phase, loneliness persists at a high level – there is a tendency towards chronicity," warned BiB sociologist Sabine Diabaté at the time.

The culprit for young people's loneliness is quickly identified and contributes to the chronicity of the condition: smartphones and digital media are to blame, according to the WHO. But it's not quite that simple. It's true that focused face-to-face conversations have become rare in the digital age. Newly coined terms like phubbing – which, in simple terms, means playing on your cell phone while having a conversation – highlight the larger problem. And yes, such an experience is painful, especially when we have to share the attention of our partner or parents. How can real touch and connection be possible when it's the smartphone, and with it all the parasocial relationships, that we carry most closely with us?

Adolescents, like no other demographic, need role models and guidelines for dealing with the digital world, which is as tempting as it is harmful. Stricter cell phone rules in schools are certainly a step in the right direction. But even more so, they need self-disciplined adults—parents, teachers, and other role models—who give their undivided attention. They "just" have to choose to do so. Otherwise, the increasing loneliness in front of smartphones will be almost impossible to contain.