AUSTIN, Texas — Are the majority of Austinites lonely? A new survey seems to think so.
Health insurance provider Cigna conducted a recent survey on loneliness in America. Loneliness was measured by a score of 43 or higher on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a 20-item questionnaire developed to assess subjective feelings of loneliness, as well as social isolation.
The survey found that around 60 percent of Austin residents are lonely compared to roughly 54 percent of the national population.
Courtesy/Cigna
More than half of those living in the Austin area feel lonely and/or disconnected from those around them, the survey found.
More than half of Austin residents say they sometimes or always feel alone (53%) or left out (53%).
Six out of ten (60%) Austin residents say they sometimes or always feel that no one knows them well.
Nearly a third (29%) of Austin residents say they rarely or never feel like there are people who really understand them.
Almost half (47%) of Austin residents sometimes or always feel their relationships with others are not meaningful.
Half (50%) of Austin residents sometimes or always feel isolated from others.
22% of Austin residents rarely or never feel like there are people they can talk to.
Courtesy/Cigna
Nationally, nearly half of surveyed Americans reported sometimes or always feeling alone (46%) or left out (47%).
In the survey, Generation Z was the loneliest generation in the survey, with more than half identifying with 10 of the 11 factors associated with loneliness. The Cigna study also pointed out that there was not a correlation between social media use and loneliness.
Also worth nothing, Americans who live with others are less likely to be lonely compared to those who live alone. However, this does not apply to single parents/guardians. Even though they live with children, they are more likely to be lonely.
