Part 3. You will hear two sociology students called Tamara and Dev discussing their research for a presentation on loneliness. First, you have some time to look at questions 21-26. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21-26.
Shall we go through the notes we've made from our research into loneliness now, Dev? OK, Tamara. It's been a real eye-opener. I had no idea that loneliness has been increasing steadily for the last 20 years.
I know. And it's the same all over the world. The downside of a modern lifestyle, I guess.
Did you come to any conclusions about what the reasons for the increase are? Well, I'd assumed it was mainly an issue for the elderly. But in fact, it's something which affects young people just as much. So nothing really to do with longer lifespans.
What about social media? In my case, far from making me feel isolated, it actually does the opposite. It definitely does more good than harm. I'd say loneliness has a lot to do with the way cities are designed.
People living in high-rise flats with not much opportunity to speak to their neighbours. I think you're right. Another possible reason is that people are having fewer children and don't live in large extended family groups.
But in this country anyway, that all changed decades ago. And yet loneliness is a more recent problem. I suppose so.
A more plausible explanation is that people are having to move around for work and often end up living miles away from their family and friends. That's true. Looking at the studies on health risks and loneliness, there are claims that loneliness has as much impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Or similar to the risks caused by obesity. But I'm not sure there's enough evidence for some of these claims. Well, what about that one in Finland which showed that loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about 10%? And those findings have been supported by other studies too.
You're right about that one. I was actually thinking of the studies on dementia. Some found no association between loneliness and dementia and others found the opposite.
Not exactly reliable then. There's been a lot of research on cardiovascular disease and whether loneliness contributes to that. Yes, I read that it was hard to reach a judgement as the definition of loneliness varied quite a lot and the responses from participants were too subjective.
But there's no doubt that loneliness contributes to a weakened immune system. Unquestionably. The data on that is sound.
What did you think about the evolutionary theory of loneliness? Well, I thought the idea that loneliness evolved because it motivated people to be with other people quite convincing. Survival often depended on group cooperation. But I don't think there's enough evidence to claim that there must be a group of neurones in our brains which influence social behaviour by making us feel bad when we're alone.
There are a few studies which support the theory but not conclusively enough. More evidence is needed. And anyway, this theory's not really useful when it comes to solving the problem of loneliness today.
True. Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30. Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
Should we look at the relationship between loneliness and mental health now? OK. So loneliness and depression are clearly related and that's been recognised by various governments around the world. But unlike depression, loneliness has no recognised clinical form.
There's no available diagnosis or effective treatment and that's not likely to change. I don't think so either. I was thinking we should start our presentation with an example from our own experience.
I'd like to talk about how lonely I was when I started university, being away from home for the first time and all that. Good idea. Everyone will be able to relate to that, although a lot of students were probably too embarrassed to admit to it.
Yeah. We could discuss ways of dealing with loneliness as well, like just talking to strangers. Loads of studies have shown that interactions with shop assistants and bar staff make people feel more optimistic and relaxed.
I don't know about that, but it must make people feel more connected with their community. True, although you need to be a certain kind of person to be able to just strike up a conversation. Good point.
We should say something about solitude and how being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing. It's strange the way some people can't stand being by themselves while others love it. Yeah, the research shows a certain amount of solitude is beneficial for wellbeing, which I appreciate, but being alone isn't something I actually like.
I'd never choose to go on holiday alone, for example. Me neither. Well, let's not... That is the end of part 3. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part 3.