Loneliness: coping with the gap where friends used to be

The pandemic has forced people to stay away from each other, cramped in their rooms, with no get-togethers or nights out. This is giving rise to loneliness, and also in the inability in making new friends.

Before the pandemic, people used to join Yoga classes, jogging clubs or do volunteer work to meet new people. Now they use Tinder for the same, but even meeting new people does not solve their core problem of loneliness.

• Loneliness does not mean being alone, although that’s a big part of the problem. 
• It is defined as a lack of connection, or emotional closeness, and a feeling of unresponsiveness. 
• People can feel lonely while having a huge network of friends, as many celebrities do. 
• The problem is the depth and the authenticity of the connection.
• Loneliness can be cured by intimacy, but being intimate with someone is a risky concept for most people.