Yahoo News From virtual pets to online pubs, the digital ways to avoid loneliness
The real pandemic might be viral, but another epidemic is close on its heels. Scientists say loneliness could be almost as deadly as Covid-19 in this new world of social distancing.
But just because pubs are closed and hugs are banned, connection doesn’t have to stop. In fact, in some ways it’s never been stronger.
From online theatre trips to virtual pets, this is a guide to combating loneliness when you’re (physically) alone.
Embrace vulnerability
“Fomo’s over,” philosopher Alain de Botton declared last week. “We now know that the party’s not going on elsewhere. There’s no party, you haven’t been excluded from it, there’s just all of us — seven billion people on the planet — feeling a little bit bereft, a little bit scared and very much in need of each other’s comfort and solace and friendship.”
Vulnerability is what builds connection and “one of the good things about now is that it’s become slightly easier to say I’m not having a good day,” he continues.
So open up and build connections, whether it’s a friend you’ve lost touch with or a newly found neighbour on your street WhatsApp group.
Canine therapy
Connection operates across different categories, says de Botton. “You can be connected to an animal, you can be connected to a book ... you can be connected to someone you’ve met in a chatroom online” — or a mixture.
If you don’t have your own pet Adoptme.com lets you adopt a virtual pet, and canine directory Dog Furiendly is hosting a virtual dog show, Bark Aid, this month in aid of Covid support efforts.
Do things, together
Connection isn’t just conversational: play dates with friends don’t have to stop. The National Theatre is streaming James Corden’s One Man, Two Guvnors on YouTube all week so hit play at the same time and have a Zoom debrief in the interval; Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has set up The Red On(Lion) pub where you can book tables with friends; and virtual workout platform Fiit lets you compete against your pals.
Tune in
“The major purpose of music is to connect you to other people,” says Ethan Hein, a professor at New York University, so find your harmony.
Local Natives singer Nik Ewing has put together a playlist of tracks for getting through isolation, Gareth Malone is running live YouTube choir sessions at 5.30pm each day, and ex-Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess is hosting nightly album listening parties on Twitter at 9pm.
Be a listening ear
New app HearMe connects loneliness sufferers with volunteers for support, but you can also reduce your own loneliness by volunteering for others.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s mental health platform Shout needs volunteers to help with its text-based service, The Silver Line is looking for helpers to chat to the elderly, and care home company CHD Living is recruiting for its “adopt a grandparent” scheme.
