Fresh air – that is the headline I give short runs on Strava which are short breaks from the hustle and bustle of daily life, full of interactions. Sitting on the sofa, watching a TV series, or going to run like me, we all need some time on our own. Being alone – or solitude – does not equal loneliness.
Nevertheless, it rises as we age, turning from short breaks to air our mind to longer spells that could turn into isolation. According to Our World in Data, Americans’ time alone rises with age.
Reitrement from work and an emptying nest make way for more time, which is allocated to more time with a partner – but even more time alone. Those who do not have a significant other at that stage in life may feel more lonely. Being in an unfulfilling relationship is likely worse for one’s social and mental health, but that is a story for another post.
In our initial explorations, we found that reaching out to aging family members touched a nerve, much more than any other form of staying in touch. At least among visitors of this page, it seems that loneliness outweighs solitude among older people.
I live in Barcelona, Spain, a developed country where the median age is among the highest in the world. Metro stations often feature ads showing elderly people staring out the window, and the writing says that loneliness is the thing they least expected when approaching this stage of life.
While some have a partner at this age and some do not, almost everybody has younger family members or friends. Touch Base can help us reach out to our older loved ones – and also the other way around. In 2024, a growing share of senior citizens feel comfortable with mobile apps. Nevertheless, I strive to have the easiest app to use for every age. Design patterns that are geared toward a segment of the population with special needs often becomes the mainstream. Big buttons screaming “click here” are now the norm.
Alone or lonely? It all drills down to choice. Goign for a breath of fresh air to be alone should be a choice, not an undesirable situation, which is loneliness.