Loneliness has no single age

What we found in the news

The American Psychiatric Association’s January 2024 poll (opens in a new tab) found loneliness across adulthood, with younger respondents reporting it more often. Morning Consult surveyed 2,200 adults on January 10–12. These are people’s reported experiences, not a diagnosis or a test of a community programme.

APA President Dr. Petros Levounis described loneliness as:

“widespread, especially in young people”

— APA research announcement, January 30, 2024

For us, the useful question is who an invitation quietly assumes will need it.

Why this matters to us

Picture a community notice showing only older couples. A young adult who has recently moved may pass it by. A person living alone may wonder whether they are expected to bring someone. Neither conclusion tells us what the host intended; it tells us what the invitation made easy to imagine.

Our genus perspective is that age can help describe an activity, but it cannot tell the whole story of someone’s relationships. An older person may have close friends and want a new interest. A younger person may spend each day around others and still want more meaningful company.

We can make room for different experiences without asking people to identify themselves as lonely or explain why they have come.

Find a shared reason to be there

An interest gives a mixed-age group something concrete to gather around. Consider a photography walk, a small repair session or an exchange of favorite recipes. These are possible formats, not findings from the poll. The best choice is one the intended participants actually want.

Ask people what they would enjoy doing and what they would like to learn. Avoid assigning the older person the teacher’s chair and the younger person the technology job automatically. Someone may have experience to offer in one part of an activity and be a beginner in another.

Describe the level of involvement clearly. A repair table could welcome people who want to watch, bring an item or help with an appropriate task. Nobody should have to arrive with an impressive skill to earn a place.

Keep ordinary conversation possible, too. Introductions can focus on the activity rather than everyone’s age, family situation or reason for attending. People can share more as they choose.

Keep several kinds of invitation available

An activity open to different ages will not suit every need. Sometimes people want company with others who understand a particular experience. A group for young caregivers or a gathering for recently retired people may offer something a general event cannot.

The point is to offer understandable choices. State who the group is for and why, whether companions are welcome, and what happens during a session. Be clear about language, timing, cost and access so that warmth in the wording is matched by useful information.

Before posting an invitation, ask a younger and an older intended participant to read it. What do they think they would be doing? Does the image feel relevant? Is anything unclear or oddly assumed?

Their answers may lead to a different photograph, a later start time or a simpler description. That is useful listening even if the event itself stays much the same. Avoid treating two opinions as a survey of the whole community.

The genus connection

Today, the genusConnect Care App and wall (opens in a new tab) can give organizations a place to share activity descriptions and reviewed community resources. Available events, conversations and access depend on the chosen configuration.

A team can use that space to explain who is welcome and what joining involves. The invitation should reflect a real activity and its actual arrangements. Its audience label helps people browse; it cannot determine whether someone feels included.

One question to take away

Who might look at your next invitation and assume it was meant for somebody else?

Ask that person what would make the wording more useful. A small change may open a possibility you had not considered, without requiring everyone to join the same kind of group.