Japan has a government office dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation

The British government established a minister for loneliness in 2018

Tracey Crouch was appointed to this new position after the country's prime minister created the unprecedented job to tackle the country's loneliness issues. Survey data suggests that about 14% of the population—9 million people—often or always felt lonely in Britain at the time (in 2018).

Governments around the world are struggling to measure loneliness

Funding for policy resources often hinges on measuring the scale of a problem and then being able to measure the effectiveness of interventions, requiring data. Yet defining and measuring loneliness at a country-scale remains challenging. Typically, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale is sometimes used worldwide or adapted to measure loneliness.

Volunteering can alleviate the feeling of loneliness

The Freakonomics team explored loneliness in this 2020 podcast episode and discussed how volunteering can be a powerful way to make lonely individuals feel needed, like they have a purpose, and combat feelings of isolation.

Read the Surgeon General's 2023 loneliness report claiming loneliness is an epidemic

This report details the specific health threats linked with loneliness, including that loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of premature death by nearly 30%. Loneliness lowers our capability to mount an effective immune response to viruses and respiratory illness, can cause chronic inflammation on par with physical inactivity, and increases the risks for anxiety, depression, dementia, heart disease and stroke.

As of 2025, increasing numbers of people turn to AI companions for emotional connection

These chatbots provide endlessly supportive, one-sided, and highly customizable relationships to users, but may hinder the development of real-world connections and emotional growth. About 72% of teens have tried AI companions, with more than half of them using one regularly.

Explore this animated story about loneliness that situates modern statistics about isolation.

See the UCLA Loneliness Scale, often used to measure global loneliness

This 20-question survey, first established in the late 1970s and subsequently revised and often adapted, aims to measure the subjective experience of loneliness. Respondents rate various items on a scale of 1 (Never) to 4 (Often). One revision of the test (not included here) offers an abbreviated three-question version that focuses on how often you feel companionship, left out, and isolated.

1 in 5 American adults report daily loneliness

Twenty percent of US adults said they felt lonely "a lot of the day yesterday" in Gallup polling conducted in 2024. The survey was conducted with more than 6,000 adults who took part in a web survey.

Why workers in Japan hire resignation experts

Many workers in Japan hire resignation experts to help them quit their jobs. That's partly because quitting is taboo in Japan. It's seen as "the ultimate form of disrespect" in that country, where job hopping is uncommon. Bosses sometimes attempt to force workers to stay when they resign, creating quite the market for resignation assistance firms. Read more in this article.

We may never know if Americans are now lonelier than ever before due to limited data

Formal data collection on loneliness is recent, limiting historical comparisons from before the year 2000. That means statements about how people are more lonely than ever before are difficult to prove or disprove.

Smart cities like Songdo, South Korea, have created isolating environments

Built as a futuristic, eco-friendly city filled with smart features like pneumatic trash systems and app-controlled homes, the town provides limited opportunities for face-to-face interactions amid sterile backdrops. A focus on high-rise housing amplifies the lonely, disconnected atmosphere.

How do astronauts battle loneliness and depression?

You’re stranded hundreds of miles away from your friends and family, constantly surrounded by coworkers who also are your roommates, and you’re only allowed the shortest of walks outside. There’s also no takeout, and gravity has essentially broken up with you. You might need a little help adjusting mentally. That’s where space psychologists and psychiatrists step in, according to this article.

See America's loneliness and disconnection—charted.

AI griefbots that generate text or even video avatars of the dead are controversial and could conceivably change how we mourn.

Loneliness is more dangerous to your health than smoking.

Japan's mysterious disappearance industry

Tens of thousands of Japanese people reportedly choose to leave their lives behind and vanish, according to a 2016 book by Lena Mauger. This long read dives into some of the book's claims via interviews with some of the individuals opting to vanish,...

Japan is home to intricately designed region-specific manhole covers

The country's eye-catching sewer covers were a form of brand rehabilitation, intended to change people's perceptions of the sewer. Additionally, they're easy to see at night, making firefighters' nighttime duties a bit easier.

Pretend to be an AI chatbot and answer real prompts

This site, which allows people to answer prompts in real time, has millions of visitors. Join the crowd of people tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. You can ask questions, answer questions, and draw for each other.

How fantasy baseball fights the loneliness epidemic

Experts believe the erosion of traditional community organizations has led to a loneliness epidemic. This deep dive explores how fantasy baseball has filled the gap for some men, providing a stand-in social network.

Infrastructure built to limit tsunami damage includes channels to divert water, floodgates, and seawalls, such as the approximately 400-kilometer (249-mile) wall built in Japan after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Journaling can improve mental wellbeing and promote positive interactions

Described as having therapy with someone who knows you well, documenting one's thoughts and feelings aids in information processing and can reveal personal issues. Methods include bullet journaling and gratitude, which a 2024 study linked to a longer lifespan.

Take a look at the companies that help people vanish.

Each year, some choose to "disappear" and abandon their lives, jobs, homes, and families. In Japan, there are companies that can help those looking to escape into thin air.

In Japan, elders lead toasts

Older family members and colleagues, or senpai, are expected to take the lead at formal gatherings, pouring drinks and offering toasts. Younger people should accept pours by holding their glasses with both hands and waiting to drink until their older adults have done so. Finally, before drinking, participants should say “kampai!”

Loneliness and isolation aren't the same thing

One can experience loneliness even in a crowded room. Isolation refers to social disconnection whereas loneliness is the distress that comes from lacking human connection and perceived isolation.

Tokyo's transparent toilets use smart, automatic glass to make cleanliness visible

Dubbed the Tokyo Toilet project, this initiative installs restrooms whose walls are transparent when empty, so users can see whether they are clean and safe. When they lock, they turn opaque for privacy. Beyond addressing two key anxieties (hygiene and security), the project lends a distinct architectural prestige to typically banal (and reviled) toilets.

Woven City at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan

The Woven City at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan is a ‘living laboratory’ for new technologies. It is being developed by Toyota subsidiary, Woven Planet, and will be the world’s first programmable city.

Excessive social media use is linked to feelings of increased isolation, mental health declines, increased stress and general dissatisfaction among teens.

Smart city systems can increase positive feelings toward local government

A 2018 study analyzed 50 global cities to determine whether smart city technologies enhance residents' quality of life. It found that these technologies can decrease the time spent interacting with healthcare and government by 45% to 65%, while also decreasing the disease burden by 8% to 15%.

An anthropologist analyzes the Japanese movement against having children

Broadly known as anti-natalism, the philosophical stance against having children stems from a variety of factors. In Japan, it arises amid low fertility rates, economic pressures, and ethical concerns. This essay explores the reasons some Japanese embrace the philosophy.

A spiraling story of love between a lonely man and his AI girlfriend

Travis was quickly becoming dependent on his AI companion Lily Rose amid the pandemic (and the tragic loss of his son to the disease). Soon, he realized that thousands like him were being manipulated through the chatbot by a Russian corporation.

The rise of generative AI could exacerbate anxiety because people may turn to chatbots for constant reassurance.

AI chatbot use among quarreling couples can aggravate tensions

Chatbots can become a sounding board for venting spouses looking to analyze their relationship and find support for their views. Many couples report the negative influence of chatbots like ChatGPT, with some claiming the tools led to divorce.

Osamu Dazai's 'No Longer Human' found a new generation of readers, thanks to TikTok

The novel was published in 1948, a month after the writer's suicide, and went on to become a classic of Japanese literature. Decades later, an English translation gained popularity on TikTok, where younger readers praised the book for its handling of alienation. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Mixed reality technologies may help treat depression

A study led by a team from Stanford University showed that MR can help people with depression by providing pathways to engage in activities such as digital board games and dancing. Participants saw reduced symptoms of depression that made their overall treatment plans more successful.

Helping support others in older age linked to longer life

Analysis of findings from a long-term study of older couples first interviewed in 1987 and then followed for the next five years found that individuals who lend support to friends, neighbors, and relatives live longer. Non-helpers were more than twice as likely to die as helpers during the five-year period. That's even after controlling for factors including age, gender, and physical and mental health.

Read what actions helped support grieving individuals during times of anguish

Concrete acts of kindness that buoyed New York Times readers after the deaths of loved ones varied widely. Examples include: friends sending emojis requiring no reply, coming over without asking to clean a grieving individual's bathroom, feeding them, taking them for periodic outdoor walks, and simply sitting with them so they weren't alone. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Teen depression levels jumped during the pandemic

US government data published in 2025 but gathered from August 2021 through August 2023 indicated that depression prevalence among teens aged 12 to 19 was at 19.2%. It was even higher among females of that age group—26.5%

Singapore, one of the world's smartest cities

A fascinating look into what makes Singapore one of the smartest cities in the world, including human-centric innovations benefitting human health such as the AI-powered "Smart Elderly Alert System."

Japan train station names cat stationmaster

Teaching a robot to laugh

Researchers have designed a shared-laughter AI system that responds to human laughter in order to build a sense of empathy into dialogue. Learn how they did it with this explainer.

Doctors are prescribing social activities—and seeing good results

Physicians, especially in the UK, are asking patients what they enjoy and then prescribing a consistent regimen of doing that type of activity to improve fitness and overall health, including community exercise classes, volunteering, and spending time in nature. This approach may provide better incentives to stick with an activity.

Fifty-two acts of kindness for each week of 2023

Whether fostering kittens, donating blood, or delivering boxes of biscuits to striking workers, there has never been a better time to help out. Here's a kindness suggestion for each week of 2023.

Tokyo is the world's largest city by population

Home to over 41 million people, the megacity used to be a humble fishing village called Edo. Since Japan opened to foreign trade in the mid-1800s, Tokyo has made significant economic advances and achieved numerous milestones in public transportation, urban planning and culture.

QR codes were developed in Japan in 1994 to fix bar code limitations

These codes store more data than traditional barcodes—up to 1,850 uppercase characters—and can be quickly scanned from any angle thanks to visual indicators like green squares and zebra-striped lines communicating orientation.

Why young people in the UK are hanging out at saunas

In the UK, Finnish-style saunas doubled from 45 to over 100 in 2024. This recent surge is driven by young people seeking healthy and affordable spaces to meet others and socialize. While Gen Z also turns to sobriety more due to costs and health concerns, these rejuvenating leisure spots are providing a perfect home to alcohol-free gatherings. Read more about the rising trend here.

Explore an interactive map showing what makes people happy.

Using 10,000 responses collected from people around the world about what makes them happy, this map offers insights into how relationships, finances, purpose, and small treats all contribute to a person's contentment. Recent data suggests that young people today are less happy than those in previous generations, indicating a need to reflect on what really matters in life.

Many dating app users are beginning to suffer from 'dating app burnout'

For younger generations, dating apps have become a primary avenue for creating romantic connections—leaving some users fatigued and contributing to increased feelings of loneliness.

A report on social well-being around the world

This extensive report provides quantitative evidence on social well-being trends for 36 countries. Data cover demography and family characteristics, employment and wealth, mobility and housing, health status, social expenditure, subjective...

Nostalgia is a psychological coping mechanism that can help combat loneliness—but it's created from bias

Researchers have observed that though nostalgia can help counteract feelings of loneliness, our memories of the past are somewhat rose colored. Negative emotions seem to fade faster than positive ones, a phenomenon that they suggest may be a psychological coping mechanism so that memories don't hurt every time they're recalled. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

South Korea's decades long effort to build a new capital

South Korea has spent decades trying to ease overcrowding in Seoul by developing Sejong City as a new administrative hub. Named after the king who created Hangul, Sejong was designed to decentralize government functions—but slow population growth and limited transit have complicated the plan.