“Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Given the significant health consequences of loneliness and isolation, we must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders. Together, we can build a country that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely, and more connected.”
FGCU Sidewalk Talk – A Story Listening Event produced by Dr. Joel Ying
“Sidewalk Talk” empowers communities by fostering meaningful connections through active listening.
Thirty students from Dr. Joel Ying’s humanities Fall 2024 course on “Storytelling for Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness” gathered on the FGCU Library Lawn for a Story-Listening event. Spending the semester learning to tell their own stories, practicing active listening with classmates, and preparing for this event, they now spread across the center of campus to promote the power of listening.
Using the model of the Sidewalk Talk organization, they invited passersby to sit and talk, tell a story, and just be witnessed.
Part of the class recruited passersby with hand-made signs like “Free Listening” and “What’s Your Story?” Others sat ready to listen with an empty chair across from them. It was a hot day, and the ROCK Center provided water and tents.
The event was a huge success. From 11am – 2pm on October 1, 2024, over 100 passersby (mostly other students) sat for a spell to gather and be listened to and experience the power of storytelling and empathy to create community and connections.
Create your own Story-Listening Event!
The physical health consequences of poor or insufficient connection include a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. Additionally, lacking social connection increases risk of premature death by more than 60%.
In addition to our physical health, loneliness and isolation contribute substantially to mental health challenges. In adults, the risk of developing depression among people who report feeling lonely often is more than double that of people who rarely or never feel lonely. Loneliness and social isolation in childhood increase the risk of depression and anxiety both immediately and well into the future. And with more than one in five adults and more than one in three young adults living with a mental illness in the U.S., addressing loneliness and isolation is critical in order to fully address the mental health crisis in America.
While the epidemic of loneliness and isolation is widespread and has profound consequences for our individual and collective health and well-being, there is a medicine hiding in plain sight: social connection.
Social connection is beneficial for individual health and also improves the resilience of our communities. Evidence shows that increased connection can help reduce the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression. Communities where residents are more connected with one another fare better on several measures of population health, community safety, community resilience when natural disasters strike, prosperity, and civic engagement.
~ Excerpt from US Dept of Health & Human Services Website
Resources
- www.sidewalk-talk.org: At Sidewalk Talk, we believe in the transformative power of heart-centered listening. Our mission is to reduce loneliness, increase belonging, promote inclusion, and enhance social health through the practice of listening on public sidewalks worldwide.
- Surgeon General information on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation