About half of all Americans today report feeling lonely and disconnected from other people, according to a recent report from the global health organization Cigna.

Roughly 46 percent of adults in the U.S. report that they feel lonely or left out.

Researchers behind the study had measured loneliness by using the UCLA Loneliness Scale which includes dozens of questions that aim to assess individual feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Many researchers have invested a great deal of time and effort into investigating the effects of loneliness and there are multiple studies that have been conducted which suggest that it could be connected to a myriad of negative health issues.

Lonely by choice...

But not everyone frowns upon loneliness and not all research supports a negative narrative. While there are many people out there who suffer with loneliness and wish they had more connection with others, there are also many cases where individuals prefer the opposite--to be alone. And it's been argued that in this circumstance, loneliness might help to boost creativity, offer mental health benefits, boost leadership skills, and more.

One previous study by AARP found that 1 in 5 adults reports feeling socially disconnected and for those who had larger social networks, they reportedly were found to have better brain health compared to those who had less engagement.

Minister of Loneliness...

In Britain, government officials there are trying to tackle the problem and one of the moves that they've taken is to hire a Minister of Loneliness that's supposed to work toward tackling the issue that impacts so many.

However, trying to abolish loneliness seems like a similarly far-fetched goal that's much like their objective to rid the world of terror. The reason that I compare the two is because neither can ever be permanently extinguished from the world, no matter what resources are funneled toward trying to achieve that reality. The UK government is expected to release their loneliness strategy report sometime later this fall.

Doctors say that they are seeing patients several times a day who are coming in because they're struggling with loneliness, despite the tools being available at their fingertips to connect with billions of people worldwide.

In another report that sought to analyze loneliness, researchers pointed the finger at social media, suggesting that children today are feeling increasingly lonely because of their excessive social media use. The report comes from a helpline that's dedicated to offering assistance for any psychological or mental issues that children might have and they say that they've seen thousands of cases of loneliness in just the last year.

Researchers have been wondering why the numbers are climbing so quickly, what's prompting the rise in loneliness for children today and others, they wonder.

We know that social media offers us a highlight version of someone's life, and it presents an unattainable and unrealistic life view that many people strive to live up to but never will.

Could this illusion be what's fueling the loneliness for so many today?

Whatever the reason that someone might be feeling lonely, there are various tools and resources that are available for people of all ages today, to connect with if they are feeling vulnerable. And for those who are caught in the habit of comparing themselves to the lives of others that they see online, it might help to remember that you don't see everything that other people are going through and it's unreasonable to try and strive to live up to some superficial lifestyle that we see others living online.

The information that is posted above is not intended to be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.

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