Synopsis

In the last few decades alone, life has progressed more than it ever has before. The internet heralded the modern era, undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions of our time, which has made the world seem more intimate with the communities it builds. But as the world moves online, other factors mean that more and more people of all ages are becoming physically separated from their support networks. Described as deadlier than obesity, chronic loneliness brings with it a slew of health issues. The estimated 1.1 million Britons to be lonely are 50% are likely to die prematurely than people with a good social network. And it's not just confined to the shores of the UK. 40% of adults reported feeling lonely in America, while in Japan, the term 'kodokushi' - or lonely death - refers to people whose bodies lie undiscovered in their apartments for months at a time. Research in Britain shows that young people report feeling more lonely, more often than older people. Some 40% of respondents aged between 16 and 24 years old said they experience loneliness often or very often, compared with just 29% of those aged between 65 and 74. The verdict is clear: loneliness is a global pandemic, and it is not associated only with old people. In December 2017, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness - named after the feisty British MP who was deeply committed to the issue up until her murder in 2016 - delivered its report. The commission found that isolation has escalated from personal misfortune into a social epidemic. As a result in 2018, Theresa May has appointed a Minister for Loneliness to tackle the issue. 'All the Lonely People' shines a light on the problem, as well as the hope that softens the eye of the storm. © Associated Artists Co. Ltd