Loneliness is far from the epidemic. In the era of continuous digital connectivity, more people are struggling with isolation than ever – not because they lack communication, but due to lack of meaningful relations.

“Reasons are multicultural,” psychiatrist Dr. Sneha Sharma tells India India. “It begins with major social changes: changes in family structures, economic pressure, and growing migration patterns are pulling people away from their support systems.”

She says that this emotional isolation is rapidly becoming a decisive issue of our time, with comprehensive results on mental welfare.

Since traditional joint families are quickly converted into nuclear houses and communities become more individualist, people are rapidly disconnecting themselves.

Many people move to new cities for work, stay away from family during the week and struggle to create local social networks. Weekends, also, are often reserved for the family, where they live and work, leaving very little time to prioritize the relationships.

“Work hours have increased. There is constant pressure to perform,” she says, how modern work culture adds to emotional exhaustion.

But perhaps the most contradictory contribution to loneliness epidemic is the rise of digital engagement.

“Social media gives confusion of connection. But those connections often lack depth, accountability or emotional security. This quick satisfaction provides that it erases our ability to invest and maintain in real -life and authentic relations,” Dr. Sharma says.

She warns that with this trend, people losing the necessary social skills to develop meaningful bonds can lead to many friendships, causing many friends to become superficial. “When we are not our authentic ourselves or avoid sharing our concerns, we miss the real connection, and it causes loneliness,” she says.

Loneliness affects health, a precursor for depression

Earlier this year, a study published in Peer-review Journal Nature Human Behavior found that the feeling of being alone is not only bad for your mental health, it also affects the cardiovascular system, and can cause stroke and even type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK and Foodon University, China found that social isolation and loneliness are associated with specific proteins in the blood that affects inflammation, immune response and stress regulation – all factors are associated with serious health conditions.

Loneliness does not always mean that one is clinically depressed, but it can be a precursor.

Dr. Sharma calls it a bidish relationship. “Loneliness can give rise to depression, and people with depression are more likely to withdraw socially,” she says.

What needs to be done?

For solutions, Dr. Sharma believes that physical activity, especially in group settings, can play a powerful role. Participating in activities such as club, sports, or gym subscription, often reduces the pressure to interact and gives a time required time to develop meaningful connections.

She says, “Not every relationship should deepen.

For better health consequences, while stepping out both physically and emotionally, can bring us back into a meaningful human relationship.