Enews - 27 May 2020 - Marist College Canberra

Issues of loneliness

While many in Australia have valued the opportunity to slow down, reflect and review some of their priorities during this time of isolation, others have struggled with the loneliness of their world.

Most people hunger for intimacy. We wither without it and yet long before this pandemic there were already many living in forced isolation. Before modern times, very few people lived alone but this has changed in the last 100 years. In Australia, around one in four live alone with nearly 30% rarely feeling they belong to a group of friends. You can live alone without being lonely, and you can be lonely without living alone. The two, however, are closely tied which makes this shutdown period even more difficult to manage. Pope Francis, in a recent interview, recalls visiting old people’s homes in Buenos Aires and asking them how was their family. Fine, Fine! Do they come? Yes always! Then the nurse would inform him that their children had not seen them in six months. Solitude and abandonment – mixed with their own feeling of guilt. Our boys in the Junior School have recently taken up this small cause by writing to aged members of Mary Help of Christians Parish and residents from local aged care homes.

Loneliness, it seems unnecessary to say, is terrible for your health. The UK has recently appointed a Minister of Loneliness to address a problem it views to be of epidemic proportions. What has been interesting, however, is studies inform us that young people (18-29 years), not the elderly, have the highest rates of loneliness among all age groups. Given their use of smartphones is nearing 95%, it is possible there could be a correlation. It makes me reflect on the transition periods in the lives of young people. Leaving school, adjusting to university, starting a new job can be isolating.

Starting high school can also be challenging and isolating for some students. House groups, team sport and the many clubs on offer at Marist are all part of ensuring boys have an entrée in school life and an opportunity to form friendships with classmates. We are accurately aware, due to the pandemic shutdown, that some boys new to the College have struggled to make their expected connections and may be feeling a sense of isolation. Hopefully sport and co-curricular activities will be commence soon but I do ask parents to discretely keep their radar alert to any signs of isolation and inform their son’s House Dean or Junior School class teacher of any concerns.