In modern society, it is often thought that loneliness merely means a lack of people around us, as if the problem only begins when a person has few social contacts. However, new research shows that the issue is much more complex. The deciding factor may not be just how many people we have around us, but how we perceive those connections and what we feel toward them.
In a significant study published in 2026, scientists examined so-called “social asymmetry”—the difference between a person’s actual social situation and their subjective feeling of loneliness. This study was based on data from 7,845 people over the age of 50 living in England and relied on the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The authors were affiliated with University College London, Northwestern University, and Cornell University. The study showed that individuals who felt more lonely than their actual social situation suggested were at a higher risk for various diseases and premature mortality. Specifically, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and overall mortality was highlighted.
Another interesting detail in the same study was that people who actually led more isolated lives but felt less lonely were, in some cases, at relatively lower risk. This suggests that being alone and the feeling of loneliness are not the same thing. It is the subjective experience that may be the factor that exerts a particularly strong impact on health.
A second study examined the daily mechanics of loneliness. This work was published in the journal Communications Psychology and involved 157 middle-aged adults. The research was linked to Cornell University and other academic institutions, and participants responded to questions sent via smartphone five times a day for 20 days. Researchers observed how often they felt lonely, whether they experienced feelings of rejection or criticism, how often they had social contact, and how ready they were to share their feelings. The results showed that loneliness is not just a constant personality trait—it can become a dynamic cycle that reinforces itself over time.
According to this study, when a person feels more lonely, they more frequently perceive subsequent social interactions as threatening—as if others are criticizing, rejecting, or undervaluing them. As a result, they engage less in communication and share their feelings with others less often. It is precisely this repetitive internal cycle that can become the reason why loneliness intensifies over time and why it is difficult for a person to escape this state.
Both studies lead to one very important conclusion: the problem of loneliness should not be defined solely by the number of social contacts. A person may have many acquaintances, friends, or family members but still feel internally disconnected. In such cases, the main problem is not the environment, but how the person perceives that environment.
Therefore, attempting to reduce loneliness simply by adding new social connections is not always enough. Deeper attention must be paid to how a person perceives their relationships, how safe they feel with others, and how much they can engage in social life with trust. This is where the line is drawn between simply being alone and that heavy internal sensation called loneliness.
