Loneliness is a crisis affecting many Canadians, with one in four people aged 15 to 24 reporting that they feeling lonely. Ongoing loneliness can even impact physical health more than smoking and obesity. Given the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, loneliness has quickly become a pressing public-health issue. It’s crucial we examine why so many people are feeling lonely and what can be done about it.
With the help of Polly, our AI advisor on what’s on the minds of Ontarians, Nam Kiwanuka and The Thread team take on the daunting task of uncovering why loneliness is so pervasive. Through this journey, we learn about several organizations across the province of Ontario aimed at reversing this epidemic with the power of community.
We visit Western University to hear how loneliness has affected student life, and hear from you, our viewers, on what you do to find community. We catch up with social groups like the Midnight Runners - a volunteer-based community creating accessible, social workouts in urban centres. Nam looks into how public or third spaces can encourage connection and friendship. On a frosty day, she visits the Bentway - a public space in Toronto - to experience why shared space can help smooth out bouts of loneliness. And she visits a seniors community in Midland to learn how singing and playing music in unison lifts people up.
Is your smartphone making you feel lonely? Did you have a hard time getting back to life after pandemic isolation? Is self-care and “loving yourself” the cure for loneliness? How can you alleviate and overcome your own loneliness? How can you help someone in your life who’s feeling isolated? Join us as we unpack the loneliness crisis and explore ways in which communities are working to create a more connected and social society. All this and more in this episode of TVO’s The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka.
00:00 Introduction - The Loneliness Crisis
00:37 How Polly, our artificial intelligence, discovers what topics are important to Ontarians
1:49 Who feels the most lonely
2:33 Statistics on loneliness - Young people feel the most lonely
4:05 The impact of smart phones and social media on loneliness
5:46 Does quality and type of interaction influence feeling lonely
7:15 Midnight Runners: Alleviating loneliness through exercise groups and community involvement
11:03 The role of cities, towns, and public spaces in loneliness
13:19 How loneliness effects public policy and infrastructure development
14:07 The role of condos and new community development on loneliness
14:26 Urban possibility - Creating public space from nothing
15:23 The new immigrant experience and loneliness
19:33 Mitigating loneliness and the Minister of Loneliness
21:04 What is social prescribing and how does it help
21:23 How loneliness impacts our physical and mental health
23:07 The benefit of leaving your house
23:36 The impact of loneliness on primary care visits
24:18 Representation and loneliness
24:51 Treating loneliness as a public health issue
25:51 The evolutionary science of loneliness
26:21 Credits
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About The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka:   
The Thread isn’t a show, it’s a conversation. Every month we use artificial intelligence to scour the internet and uncover the topics that matter most to Ontarians. We then hit the streets to determine how these issues impact daily life and the efforts being made to solve them. Through a combination of expert interviews and stories of lived experience, we're here to help you understand the headlines, challenges, and opportunities Canadians face in a quickly changing political and social landscape. 
About TVO Today:  
TVO Today is a trusted source of insight and information about life in Ontario and beyond. Our award-winning current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts explore relevant issues and inspiring solutions. TVO Today’s website, mobile apps, broadcast programs and streaming services are all ad-free.