A study published a few days ago in "Psychological Science" has revealed that loneliness in people comes at certain times during life, creating a "U" shape. According to the study, a person begins to feel loneliness in childhood, then in youth the sense of belonging and the development of relationships increases, reaching the peak in middle age, when interaction is higher. Finally, loneliness begins to develop again as we approach our 60s and 80s.
People in their 40s have a lot of social interactions, as most of them have started families, work and lead very busy lives.
"With age, these seemingly stable relationships begin to fade," explains Eileen K. Graham, professor of medical social sciences at the University of Feinberg, where the study was conducted.
Graham, along with her team, observed and collected a large set of data from the 1980s to 2008, concluding that people generally associate themselves with two affirmative sentences about their personal and social lives: "I miss having people around me", or "My social relationships are superficial".
The results of the study have received the attention of the scientific committee and have been commented by several experts in the New York Times.
This study highlights the important need to build lasting relationships and work throughout life for fulfilling social relationships.
Researchers advise increasing attention to social relationships beyond virtual ones.
According to them, it is necessary that especially young people talk more with each other and develop relationships that go beyond online acquaintances, as recently there is an increase in loneliness in young age and adolescence, generally driven by close connection by phone or social networks.
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