Others are sure that technology can reduce loneliness. On the top of a hill in Gjøvik, a two-hour train-ride from Oslo, lives Per Rolid, an 85-year-old widowed farmer. One daughter lives nearby, but he admits feeling lonely. So he has agreed to take part in a trial of Komp, a device made by No Isolation, a startup founded in 2015. It consists of a basic computer screen, a bit like an etch-a-sketch. The screen rotates pictures sent by his grandchildren, and messages in large print from them and other kin. Sharing our experiences helps to start conversations with others and break the stigma associated with loneliness and mental health. This Mental Health Awareness Week, everyone is invited to share experiences of loneliness using #IveBeenThere. Gus’s descent into loneliness took on a dramatically different form than Hubert's. Why do you think Gus found himself living like he did? You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.

The findings complement academic research which uses standardised questionnaires to measure loneliness. One drawn up at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has 20 statements, such as “I have nobody to talk to”, and “I find myself waiting for people to call or write”. Responses are marked based on the extent to which people agree. Respondents with tallies above a threshold are classed as lonely. You might find it hard to explain to people why you feel this way, but talking to someone could help you find a solution.My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.) We have two timelines going on here. In the first, Hubert is in his early twenties and makes the journey from Jamaica to the UK to start a new life. We see him disembark the boat and experience life in London. The racism, the hostile attitudes which only increase when he starts a relationship with a white woman, Joyce. Our protagonist Hubert Bird, is presently in his 80s and lives alone in his home in Bromley, with his pet cat Puss as his only companion after having lost his wife of forty-seven years thirteen years ago. He has isolated himself from his friends and community for the last five years, including his closest friend Gus and looks forward to the weekly phone calls from his daughter Rose, a professor working in Australia. His daughter worries about his being alone and to appease her he concocts stories about fictitious friends and regales her with stories revolving around his busy social life. When his daughter plans a visit, he realizes that he will be caught in his deception and strives to rectify his situation and ventures out to reconnect with his old crowd but that does not happen. When I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love! Hubert Bird sitting in his chair, hat on, Puss on his lap, the small table with the blue rotary phone and his journal positioned close-by waiting for Rose's weekly call. My heart was already heavy! Similar schemes are run by Homeshare, a network of charities, operating in 16 countries, including Britain. Elsewhere policymakers are experimenting with incentives to encourage old and young to mix. In cities such as Lyon in France, Deventer in the Netherlands and Cleveland in Ohio, nursing homes or local authorities are offering students free or cheap rent in exchange for helping out with housework.

But when Rose announces she’ll be visiting from Australia in a few months’ time and can’t wait to meet and spend time with Hubert’s friends, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Does he tell her the truth or does he spend the next few months trying to build the life he said he had? The story is also about mental health, being lonely, the power of friendships, human connection and human touch, as well as, the importance of persistence and learning how to never to give up on people. Almost 4 in 10 people (39%) said feelings of loneliness have led them to experience low mood (or sadness) I know racism is the "thing" at the moment and was particularly bad in 'those days', but again I felt this whole issue rammed down my throat, with having Latvian delivery drivers, some sort of Chinese great-niece and so on. I just felt all these multicultural references were over-done to be honest. I don't give a fig where people are from and I think having to mention it makes it more racist than not.Lonely People" was Peek's standout contribution to Holiday, a simple tune that carried a universal message. The song came out of true experience, Dan says: "I wrote it probably within a month of getting married to my long-lost love, Catherine. I had always felt like the melancholy, lonely person. And now I felt like I'd won. It had become this quest, to get this woman and make things right. There was a joy, but also a sadness for everybody that didn't have somebody, 'cause I knew what that was like. The line that inspired it was from 'Eleanor Rigby': 'all the lonely people, where do they all come from ... where do they all belong?' That line haunted me and cut me to the core. After a couple of years of it being out, we'd do shows where, when we played that song, there would be a standing ovation in the middle of it. This was for all the lonely people, and I was one of them." So at the time it was written it was about the chalice used during the wedding ceremony. This story is brimming and tipping over with wonderful characters. All are likable and each one adds a different dynamic to the mix. What a diverse group indeed. Hubert is my fave, of course! I just want to hug this man for all his wonderfulness! He's officially at the top of my list for "Best Character in 2021 Reads"!

Loneliness is usually best explained as the result of individual factors such as disability, depression, widowhood or leaving home without your partner. Yet some commentators say larger forces, such as “neoliberalism”, are at work. Where do they all come from? Side note: The reference to Weight Watchers Points ... I've been there HAHAHA - this made me laugh out loud! More than half of adults (55%) said they didn't think other people could tell when they are feeling lonely Yet loneliness is not especially a phenomenon of the elderly. The polling found no clear link between age and loneliness in America or Britain—and in Japan younger people were in fact lonelier. Young adults, and the very old (over-85s, say) tend to have the highest shares of lonely people of any adult age-group. Other research suggests that, among the elderly, loneliness tends to have a specific cause, such as widowhood. In the young it is generally down to a gap in expectations between relationships they have and those they want. Hubert’s life now consists of weekly phone calls with his daughter and conversations with his cat. But he is shaken out of this limited existence by his new neighbour, a young single mum new to the area who is fighting her own battle with loneliness. Ashleigh is originally from Wales and has struggled to make new friends since having her young daughter Layla.The smartphone makes an easy scapegoat. A sharp drop in how often American teenagers go out without their parents began in 2009, around when mobile phones became ubiquitous. Rather than meet up as often in person, so the story goes, young people are connecting online. I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.