Loneliness decreases as you age with young men living in individualistic societies most vulnerable

Loneliness decreases as you age with young men living in individualistic societies most vulnerable  - Getty 
Loneliness decreases as you age with young men living in individualistic societies most vulnerable - Getty

Loneliness decreases as you age, a new study has found, as psychologists say individualism in British society is to blame for people feeling isolated.

There is a "steady decrease" in reported loneliness as people age but loneliness increases in individualistic societies and is greater in men than women, a new analysis has found.

Experts from Exeter, Manchester and Brunel universities analysed data on more than 46,000 people aged 16-99 across 237 countries and territories, who took part in an online survey for the BBC's Loneliness Experiment.

The report found that younger men living in individualistic societies, such as the UK, were the most vulnerable to frequent and persistent loneliness.

Individualistic cultures value self-reliance and are associated with loose social networks, primarily dominated by chosen relationships, while collectivist cultures encourage interdependence and have tighter social networks, dominated by family and others, the researchers said.

Lead author of the report Professor Manuela Barreto, of the University of Exeter, said: “People in more individualistic countries reported more loneliness and the UK is one of the highest scoring on individualism.”

Participants of the online survey, held in 2018, answered four questions on loneliness: Do you feel a lack of companionship?, Do you feel left out?, Do you feel isolated from others?, and Do you feel in tune with people around you?

Loneliness increased as levels of individualism increased, irrespective of age, while it decreased with age for both women and men, the study found.

Male participants reported more loneliness than females at all ages and in all levels of individualism.

But the research "does not support" the commonly-held belief that the elderly are more lonely than young people, the paper said.

Prof Barreto said: "Contrary to what people may expect, loneliness is not a predicament unique to older people.

"In fact, younger people report greater feelings of loneliness.

"Since loneliness stems from the sense that one's social connections are not as good as desired, this might be due to the different expectations younger and older people hold.

Prof Barreto said particular attention should be paid to how social changes might be affecting young people during the coronavirus lockdown.

She said: "Though it is true that younger people are better able to use technology to access social relationships, it is also known than when this is done as a replacement - rather than an extension - of those relationships, it does not mitigate loneliness."

As the survey was voluntary, it only represents those willing to express their feelings of loneliness, rather than being representative of the broader population.

The paper, titled Loneliness Around the World: Age, Gender, and Cultural Differences in Loneliness, was published in the journal Personality And Individual Differences.