More young people raised the Golden Telephone of the Messengers of Peace, which responds to situations of loneliness, in 2024. These are young people under 35 who They need to talk to someone real. and they ask for help after breakup situations, problems due to a change of city or a loss of family ties.
“Many admit feel overwhelmed because of digital hyperconnection, but without a real person to talk to”, they explain of the entity founded by Father Ángel, who created the “National Map of Undesirable Solitude” from telephone data 900 22 22 23, a listening and emotional support service created 30 years ago.
The foundation has detected an increase in calls from young people, but unwanted loneliness hits women particularly hard. the elderly, which is still the group more numerousand women, who make up 55% of those seeking emotional support.
In Spain, one of one in five people feel alone (20% of the population), an unwanted loneliness that becomes chronic when it lasts two years or more, a situation experienced by six and a half million people (13.5%) according to the SoledadES Observatory.
friendly voices
“More and more young people are calling looking for a friendly voice” They stand out from this service which has detected a sustained growth in calls from people under 35 years old. During his three decades of activity, he has received more than 7.2 million calls.
People over 65 remain the largest group, but also the most diverse. There are those who calls after losing your partnerwho feels like they no longer matter to their children, or who simply needs to talk to them every day fight the silence. Six in ten live alone and 30% admit to not having received visitors for weeks.
In the “Generation X” (40-65 years) there is a silent solitude, often associated with separation, job instability or caring for elderly parents and lack of time for social life. Additionally, research has shown that “people in this age group feel lonely even at home after devoting themselves to family and work.”
55% of people seeking emotional support They are women. Many are widowed or separated, with a longer life expectancy and a historical burden of care that, with old age, transforms into an absence from one’s own networks.
The map of loneliness: Madrid, Andalusia and the Basque Country, with the most cases
Undesirable loneliness evolves depending on demographic structure, urban life or rural depopulation. The absence of meeting places, social activities and community networks reinforces the feeling of invisibility. In the case of Madrid, Andalusia and Basque Country are the communities where the demand for help.
In the case of Madrid (with 21.5% of calls) a good part of these situations are conditioned by the fast lifeconstant mobility and urban anonymitywhich generate particularly pronounced loneliness among elderly people living alone and among recently arrived young people.
Andalusia (19.7%) combines two realities that aggravate isolation: a aging rural areas and urban environments where many people lack a close family network; while the Basque Country (10.4%), with one of life expectancy the highest in Europe, reflects a loneliness associated with longevity and the progressive loss of traditional community networks.
In the Valencian Community (10%), Galicia (3%) and Castile and León (4.8%), loneliness predominates especially in rural areas with a lack of services and few young people, leaving a deep social void. In the case of Catalonia (4.8%) and Murcia (2.5%), they present a trend marked by the big cities where fast pace and individualism make it difficult to create stable connections. In Asturias (2%) and the Canary Islands (4.7%), the physical isolation (orography, dispersion or insularity) intensifies emotional isolation.
Other conditions
The majority of people seeking help live alone (64%), while barely 2% share accommodation with his children. The daily absence of companionship is, in many cases, the trigger for emotional discomfort, say the experts.
Loneliness does not depend on economic level, but lack of resources generally makes it even more difficult. access to activities, community spaces or support networks. 51% identify as middle class and 27% as lower class.
Concerning the level of education, it crosses all levels: 45% have secondary education, 39% having completed primary education and 7% having completed higher education. Regarding physical and emotional state, four out of ten people mention persistent physical ailments, while one 23% recognize symptoms of depression and 11% anxiety or distress. The analysis highlights the close relationship between health and loneliness: one nourishes and aggravates the other. Additionally, most people claim activities, workshops, day centers and meeting spaces that allow people to exchange ideas and create real connections.
About The Author
