Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and depression
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
Layla Bautista
Everyone is feeling the consequences of social isolation as our society becomes increasingly lonely, but are men bearing the brunt
Male loneliness is the subject of many online discussions., raising questions on who is to blame – Feminism? The internet? Capitalism? Or even maybe a general reluctance around having children and getting married?
And, ultimately, does playing the blame game solve any issues?
Understanding Men’s Mental Health
Fifteen percent of men claim they have no close friends, an overwhelming 12% increase since 1990, according to the American Survey Centre.
Male loneliness has been highlighted as a contributing factor to widespread issues like depression, high suicide rates, and even violence.
The term for this phenomenon was coined after United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy spoke out about the epidemic of loneliness and isolation.
“Men are less likely to seek help from other men or mental health professionals.”
Due to social pressure impacting men’s ability to express themselves, they are less likely to talk about their emotions and feelings of loneliness than women, according to the National Library of Medicine.
And as such, men are less probable to seek help from other men or mental health professionals, resulting in their emotions being buried and building up.
Not only this, but it exacerbates mental, as well as physical, health issues, creating a greater risk of premature death, cardiovascular illness, and stroke, The US Surgeon’s General Advisory reported.
Gender Wars On The Digital Battleground
One of the primary drivers behind the male loneliness epidemic appears to be the tense differences of opinions on gender, which have become increasingly heated online.
Living on social media, especially the ‘manosphere’, has disconnected many people from reality, with people retreating into online echo chambers, where they are exposed to harmful stereotypes and divisive rhetoric.
As a result, there has been an increase in gender-based cyber aggression, according to Amnesty International, which includes doxxing, threats of violence, video and image based abuse, online harassment, outing, digital blackmail, targeted surveillance and hateful and abusive speech.
What Do We Do Now?
Having identified the symptoms of the male loneliness epidemic, how can we reduce the number of men identifying as lonely?
We need to be honest about the root cause of the issue, instead of passing the blame to women or online culture.
Men need to seek help with their mental health and form friendships with each other, rather than shifting the blame onto women.
- For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
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SOLVING SOCIAL ISOLATION: IS IT AS SIMPLE AS ‘GOING OUTSIDE’?
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DOMESTIC ABUSE: WHY VICTIMS DON’T JUST LEAVE
Featured image courtesy of Andrew Neel on Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license here.
