Tracing The “Loneliness Epidemic”
Americans are experiencing an unprecedented social crisis; the so-called loneliness epidemic now impacts half of all Americans according to the HHS Department, and that number is steadily rising year over year. Loneliness can have serious implications for those who experience it, including depression, anxiety, and isolation. Some are now suggesting, however, that by repairing the rifts in fractured communities, this crisis can be mitigated, leading to the launch of local, grassroots projects such as The Faces of Spokane, WA.
The project and others like it were inspired not only by the loneliness crisis, but by a general erosion of community values as well. The Pew Research Center recently found that nearly 60% of Americans don’t know their neighbors, which other experts, such as project creator Lynn Sebert, suggests is at least partially responsible for the crisis the nation now faces.
Celebrating Community
While the solutions to this problem are just as complex as the causes behind it, many experts suggest that a ground-up approach is the only real way to reconnect and repair disconnected communities. Author and teacher Hiro Boga, for instance, shared a model of community that closely resembles the one Sebert advocates for: one in which neighbors support one another, and in which individuals can live their lives authentically.
In that way, as Sebert alludes to, Spokane may be an ideal model as the rest of the nation addresses this crisis. While she has since relocated to Ohio, Sebert was born and raised in Spokane, and still maintains a deep reverence for the community and its unique culture. Most notably, she celebrates the fact that even in the face of widespread social fragmentation, Spokane still boasts a lively community, and by highlighting those stories, she hopes to inspire the same level of connection in other cities across the country.
Repairing The Rift
While Spokane may be taking measures to cure the loneliness epidemic on a local scale, there is still a great deal of work to be done nationally. However, as a recent NPR report explains, a national strategy modeled on the kind of initiatives that Sebert and others like her are launching might be the answer.
Their report points to the very foundation of American society as being inherently isolating due to factors such as:
Lack of access to public transportationCultural embrace of extreme individualismDeficient mental health support systemsGeneral lack of research on the issue
Until these problems are addressed in a meaningful way, projects like The Faces of Spokane, WA will have to stand as a stopgap measure, addressing the epidemic on the small-scale. Given the persistent failure of the Federal government to handle this issue, however, grassroots efforts like Sebert’s may be the only effective option after all.
About Faces Of Spokane
The Faces Of Spokane is a weekly project built on a foundation of community connection and understanding. Host Lynn Sebert is currently accepting nominations for interviewees; those who wish to submit the name of a friend or family member can do so by clicking here.