Concerning new research has revealed one in two Australians are experiencing social disconnection despite living in a more digitally connected world than ever before.
The findings show young adults aged 18 to 25 are now the loneliest age group in Australia, highlighting that being connected online does not always translate to meaningful real-life relationships.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Loneliness crisis affecting one in two Aussies
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This Loneliness Awareness Week, celebrity chef and mental health advocate Colin Fassnidge is hoping to change that, opening up about his own experiences with loneliness and the simple routine that has helped him build connections.
Fassnidge said loneliness can affect anyone, regardless of how it appears.
“I’m on the road for eight months of the year. And like, as glamorous as that sounds, it’s not. Because you end up in a hotel room every night on your own,” he told The Morning Show on Monday.
To combat that isolation, the 53-year-old joined WNOW, a men’s charity group that brings men together at beaches across Australia to exercise, swim and openly talk about their lives.
“We train… we have a swim, no matter what the weather is. And then we have a circle of trust where you can talk about wins in life or you can talk about I’m not feeling good today,” he explained.
Fassnidge encouraged Australians to reach out to the people in their lives, saying even a simple phone call could have a ripple effect.
“If you haven’t spoken to someone in a while, call them. And then get them to call someone…. and if I see someone who’s doing it tough, I bring them down (to the beach),” he said.
Also joining The Morning Show on Monday, Associate Professor Michelle Lim, CEO and scientific chair of Ending Loneliness Together, said loneliness and social isolation are often confused but are very different experiences.
“Loneliness is a feeling of distress that comes up for you when you feel your relationships are not meeting your current social needs. So you could be around people but still feel lonely,” she said.
“Social isolation is much more objective. So it’s the number of people you know, how much contact you have with people.”
The research found that having just one close friend within your social network can reduce the risk of loneliness by up to 89 per cent.
Lim said Australians needed to make a conscious effort to reconnect with the people around them.
“We’re living in an increasingly socially disconnected world,” she said.
“You really have to make the effort — call someone, make room. It’s physical space, emotional space, doing something to help someone else if you know they’re at risk of loneliness or social isolation.”
She said volunteering, strengthening family relationships and simply talking to people in the community could all help reduce loneliness by giving people a greater sense of meaning and purpose.
