For too much of this young decade, social isolation was presented as a virtue — an “ethical duty” even. This week, the horrible consequences of what should have been an option of last resort are being met with some urgency by the very public-health establishment that implored you to keep to yourself.
An 81-page report released this week by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned of a crisis of loneliness afflicting the American public. His office maintains that, beyond the psychological drawbacks associated with loneliness, solitude contributes to negative health outcomes, too. “Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually,” the Associated Press reported.
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