 Hi there, Psych2Go fans! For those of you who are new or someone who's been a long time fan, we're glad to see you here and want to thank you for supporting us. If you want to see where we got this information, references are at the end. Loneliness is a widely recognized epidemic. According to the late John Katchopo, co-founder of Social Neuroscience, loneliness is on the rise because we aren't as closely bound the way we used to be. The social world is constantly evolving, meaning that the way connections are formed and built becomes increasingly dependent on the social media platform, like apps for dating, online forums, blogs, and even online gaming. The result of this increasing dependency is that within the last 15 years, many of our face-to-face connections have been replaced with social networking. Katchopo discovered that if people use social networking as a way to promote face-to-face interactions, then it reduces the amount of loneliness they encounter. However, if it's used as a replacement for those human interactions, loneliness is increased. It's a fine balance. So what holds us back from coping with loneliness? Much of it is in the way it is understood or misunderstood and depicted by the general public. Psych2Go's mission is to help further accurate understanding of psychological issues and with that, reduce any stigmas. Without further ado, let's look at 7 common misconceptions about loneliness. Misconception 1. The more friends you have, the merrier. Not necessarily. There's no research so far revealing an equation of having X amount of friends that will stave off loneliness. If it were that easy, we'd all be cured of it in no time. Loneliness is far more complicated to be handled by a simple equation. Katchopo states that how you perceive the size of your circle of friends matters most. Loneliness is subjective. It means something different to everyone. The ideal social life for each person depends on many factors. Such as level of extroversion, family size, social media influences and your own self-acceptance all contribute to that perception. Misconception 2. Introverts are generally lonelier than extroverts. Introverts often have a greater need to recharge due to their biological makeup. While extroverts prefer to meet new faces daily, introverts may be content with meaningful interactions with one or two close loved ones without further need for newness. Introverts may seem lonelier due to their smaller social circle compared to extroverts. But extroverts may be at a higher risk of experiencing loneliness when they don't receive the stimulation they seek in social settings. Extroverts generally require more engagement with the rest of the world to satisfy their social need. And when they are deprived of receiving that energy, it may take a large toll on their feelings of being connected. Overall, loneliness doesn't target a specific personality group. It affects everyone. Misconception 3. There is nothing good about loneliness. It's all about moderation. Loneliness experienced frequently and intensely can put your health at risk. However, loneliness in general is commonly experienced by all of us at some point in our lives. Similar to our stress system, which has a survival purpose to warn us of potential danger, loneliness acts as a reminder to connect with others. Being lonely may not feel all that great, but it would be scarier to not be able to feel anything at all. Misconception 4. Married couples don't experience loneliness. The popular assumption is that married equals the end of loneliness. However, a high-conflict marriage with lack of resolution can actually contribute to loneliness. In fact, along with the rising divorce rates, research also shows that roughly one third of married couples report feeling lonely. This goes to show that putting a ring on it doesn't guarantee safety from feeling emotionally disconnected. Being in the wrong relationship could make you feel lonelier than being single. Misconception 5. Loneliness is caused by poor social skills. The common misconception, as per Kachopo and also resulting from many coming-of-age Hollywood movies, is that if you train someone who's socially awkward to act like the popular kid, the loneliness will be reduced or even disappear. The truth is, those with adequate social skills still experience loneliness. In coping effectively with loneliness, it's important to retrain the way we view people. It also requires understanding what loneliness is and learning to correct our behaviors that encourage or enable it. Misconception 6. Loneliness leads to death. This is a case of mistaken causation versus correlation. Loneliness is not a direct cause of death. However, it is linked to various factors that increase the risk of early mortality. For example, loneliness can increase cortisol levels, which raises stress, which in turn can cascade into numerous mental and health issues. But the other way around is also possible. People could become lonely and isolated because they already have poor health, which stops them from socializing. Or lonely people may show up as less healthy in the statistics because their loneliness caused them to feel unmotivated to take care of their health. It works both ways. Misconception 7. Only strong ties matter. It shows that people who have social networks that comprise of both strong tie and weak tie relationships experience less loneliness than those who have only established strong tie relationships. Examples of strong tie connections are those with your significant other, your best friend, and a close family member. Weak tie connections, on the other hand, consists of people like the neighbor you wave hello to and the barista who makes your coffee every day. Some may argue that weak tie connections aren't important if small talk is the only thing that brings two people together. But weak ties are crucial to bringing groups of strong ties together. You may wonder, what if one feels content already in their strong tie relationships? What's the motivation to venture out and socialize with others? Simply, stunted growth means missing valuable information. As an example, you and your strong tie group are all mental health fans where everyone has solid knowledge of it because you're all great at communicating with each other. However, due to lack of expansion, you are now missing out on other valuable, maybe even crucial information, such as caring for your physical health or ways of integrating physical and mental health together. Those weak ties may serve to bridge that knowledge gap and broaden your perspective with opportunities to explore new information, resulting in a well-rounded, healthier you. Join the movement. End the stigma and start raising awareness about what loneliness truly is. How has loneliness affected your life? Psych to go would love to hear your thoughts. Be sure to leave a comment down below. If you enjoyed this video, you may also like the video, 7 Signs You May Be Lonely from Psych to Go. Like, subscribe, and share this with anyone you think may benefit. Thanks for watching. Until next time.