Research Methods Department, University of Almeria, Crtra sacramento s/n 04120 (2.11 office, central building), Almería, Spain.
Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Cult Med Psychiatry. 2024 Sep;48(3):547-568. doi: 10.1007/s11013-024-09861-9. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
Loneliness among young people has been increasing in recent years and is considered a major public health problem. This article delves into the sociocultural dynamics that favour the experiences of loneliness. For this purpose, 40 students between 19 and 24 years of age were interviewed using the photo elicitation interview (PEI) strategy. The results show a gradual normalization of the experience of loneliness and an effort to become accustomed to it. Virtual relationships and isolation linked to the COVID-19 pandemic are considered the two factors that have most enabled a climate prone to loneliness. Young people identify a few elements that feed social loneliness, such as an understanding of instrumental relationships, a scarcity of intimate relationships, a demand for hyperconnectivity, a fantasy of independence and a culture of positivity that hinders the establishment of quality social ties. Faced with hostile relational conditions, youth are sent into a cycle of loneliness. The greater the distrust of the environment is, the greater the defensive reactions and social distancing, and the greater the search for nearby spaces of refuge, security and shelter. Social withdrawal makes in-person relationships difficult and strengthens the need to isolate and become accustomed to loneliness.
近年来，年轻人的孤独感日益加剧，被认为是一个主要的公共卫生问题。本文深入探讨了有利于孤独感体验的社会文化动态。为此，采用照片引发访谈（PEI）策略对 40 名 19 至 24 岁的学生进行了访谈。结果表明，孤独感逐渐正常化，并努力习惯孤独感。与 COVID-19 大流行相关的虚拟关系和隔离被认为是最有利于孤独感产生的两个因素。年轻人确定了一些助长社交孤独的因素，例如对工具性关系的理解、亲密关系的匮乏、对超连接的需求、对独立的幻想以及阻碍建立高质量社交关系的积极文化。面对敌对的人际关系条件，年轻人陷入了孤独的循环。对环境的不信任程度越高，防御反应和社会隔离就越大，对附近避难、安全和庇护空间的寻找就越大。社交退缩使人际关系变得困难，并加强了隔离和习惯孤独的需求。
