In the latest instalment of her column about her adventures in online dating, Alie Benge makes a real connection – and wonders why she can’t shake the need for romantic love. A friend told me I seem happy again. “It’s nice to have happy Alie back,” he said. “It’s been a while.” It made me … Read more
Politicians can’t make us feel less lonely, but they can adopt policies that create conditions for meaningful social interaction to flourish. This article tackles loneliness at the policy level, which is important, but won’t be much immediate help to individuals feeling lonely and isolated right now. If you’re in that situation, Loneliness NZ has some … Read more
Even in normal times, loneliness takes a terrible toll on society’s most vulnerable. Now with New Zealand under lockdown, we need to be even more mindful of the risks. These are disorienting times. The benchmark for what’s “normal” is shifting so rapidly it’s dizzying to remember what we were all doing just a few weeks … Read more
As we head into our first weekend with many of us in self-isolation and practising social distancing, Sam Brooks offers a few tips on how to be social while saying alone. “I want to be alone.” – Greta Garbo, in Grand Hotel. Those famous words are probably the opposite of what you’re feeling if, like … Read more
Writer and actress Michelle Langstone reflects on loneliness on a trip to Singapore. The Spinoff Summer Journey series is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click here. Three days in Singapore as a step-down converter from the bougainvillea-stained Greek holiday that has left my … Read more
Working to combat New Zealand’s loneliness epidemic, Dinner Together matches volunteers with elderly people for a cup of tea and a spot of dinner. When Katie Brown was tasked with ringing Wainuiomata locals to check if they had their voting papers, she didn’t anticipate having her heart shattered into tiny pieces. But that’s exactly what … Read more
New Zealand Geographic editor Rebekah White examines the public spaces that connect us. Our towns and cities are lacking something important, and I was reminded of this during a recent visit to Hong Kong. There, senior citizens fill the social niche that teenagers do in Auckland. They loiter in the local square with their mates, … Read more