Meera sat at her favourite café in Delhi, slowly typing away at her laptop. The hum of conversation filled the air, spoons clinked against coffee cups, and the Wi-Fi buzzed with energy.
Yet, despite the liveliness around her, a quiet emptiness settled in her chest. She scrolled through Instagram, watching old friends laughing in Goa, colleagues posting vacation reels, and influencers smiling into sunset skies.
She wasn’t sad. But she wasn’t connected either.
She felt lonely—and that feeling, as it turns out, is more common than we might think.
Meera is part of a growing wave of young adults navigating loneliness in a hyperconnected world.
According to a 2023 Gallup Global Emotions Report, 1 in 4 adults globally reported feeling lonely “a lot” the previous day. In India, a 2022 study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that nearly 36% of youth aged 18–25 reported frequent feelings of loneliness, especially in urban areas. The paradox? Most of them had hundreds of social media contacts.
Meanwhile, a 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled loneliness a “global public health concern,” linking it to depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and even heart disease.
Neurologically, loneliness activates the brain’s pain and threat centres, signalling emotional danger.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 report equated chronic loneliness with smoking 15 cigarettes a day—a comparison that stunned the public.
In India, the National Mental Health Survey (2015-16) already indicated that one in every seven Indians was experiencing some form of psychological distress, with loneliness cited as a major contributor among youth and the elderly alike.
As Meera sat alone, something shifted. She remembered a childhood friend she hadn’t spoken to in years.
Without overthinking it, she typed:
“Hey, I miss you. Want to catch up soon?”
It wasn’t a cure. But it was a beginning.
Loneliness rarely disappears overnight. But every honest message, every shared story, every genuine moment chips away at the silence.
Loneliness is not a flaw or failure—it’s a signal. Like hunger tells us to eat, loneliness tells us we need connection—not just digitally, but emotionally. In a world full of filters and followings, what we need most is to be felt.
So, if you feel like Meera sometimes—know this:
You are not alone in your loneliness.
Others feel it too.
And healing begins with something as small as:
“Hey, I was thinking of you.”
By Ananya Yadav
Touch of Peace Mental Health Care Services Pvt. Ltd. Building an inclusive haven, where emotional well-being is woven into daily life.
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