A study in Germany shows that there are links between loneliness and a tendency towards populism and conspiracy theories. Experts add that this is still only one of the reasons why young people in particular believe less and less in democracy.
In Germany, loneliness is often described as a silent epidemic. The latest data from the Federal Statistical Office show that every sixth person over the age of ten often feels lonely - that's about 12,2 million people.
Psychologists define loneliness as a perceived discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships and is different from social isolation. Statistics show that young people are the most affected in Germany: a quarter of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 say they often feel lonely.
Families Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) described loneliness as one of the most important issues of our time, not only because of the health risks, including a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and depression - but also because it weakens social cohesion.
The study "Extremely lonely", part of the Kollekt project funded by this Ministry, suggests that loneliness can be a threat to democracy.
Scientists have found a link between loneliness and anti-democratic attitudes: tendency towards populism, belief in conspiracy theories, authoritarian attitudes and approval of breaking political rules and violence.
"These are not cause-and-effect relationships, but there is a correlation," said Claudia Neu, a sociologist and one of the authors of the study.
People who have been lonely for a long time begin to perceive the world more negatively, as darker and more dangerous - they trust other people less, as well as their environment and democratic institutions.
This is a problem, according to Noj, because support for democracy depends on how strongly one feels connected to society as a whole.
"The longing for community is of course still very strong. It's just deeply rooted in us that we probably can't survive without others," she said.
Right-wing populist or right-wing extremist parties offer a sense of community and at the same time this narrative of fear: "Join us, then you will be part of our community".
Loneliness is only one of many risk factors
Gabrijela Grobarcikova (25) says that she was 15 years old when she first felt lonely.
"I felt distanced from other people. I felt that there were many people around me, but the feeling of a real connection was missing," she told Deutsche Welle (DW).
Grobarcikova said that she did not have a stable family life and that it was difficult for her to maintain long-term friendships, but she found a sense of connection through politics. She believes that thanks to the fact that her parents are supporters of left-center politics, she did not develop anti-democratic or extremist attitudes.
"Loneliness is a state in which there is a strong, unfulfilled desire for togetherness. I realized this desire through political engagement and activism, in local communities, social democratic political circles."
The Kollekt study showed that distrust in democracy is widespread among young people. Of the 1.008 respondents between the ages of 16 and 23, only 48 percent believe that the democratic system in Germany works well, and 40 percent believe that politicians are able to respond to the challenges of the future.
Was it better before?
However, there is no empirical evidence to suggest that young people today have more extreme political views than previous generations, says Bjorn Milbrat, a sociologist and expert on youth radicalization at the German Youth Institute.
"Today, one gets the impression that young people are becoming more and more radical. But I urge caution. There have always been radical or extremist youth movements," Milbrat told DW.
He recalls the wave of violence by right-wing extremists in the early nineties, after the reunification of Germany, and the student movement in West Germany in 1968.
Research has shown, Milbrat said, that the likelihood of a young person becoming radicalized depends on several factors, not just loneliness. Socioeconomic background, unstable family life, poorly developed critical thinking and exposure to misanthropic attitudes can also play a role in this.
"There is not just one factor. I think it is very important to emphasize that because in the public debate there is often a tendency to look at radicalization in a very one-dimensional way, that TikTok is one of the main factors that radicalize young people," he said.
"But what you always have to say is that people are particularly radicalized on TikTok if they're already receptive to certain ideologies or attitudes," Milbrat added.
It's important to be vigilant about extremism among young people, said Milbrat, pointing to Shell's 2019 youth study, which showed that about a third of young people have a tendency towards right-wing populism.
"That was a very alarming result and I think it still is," he said. "There are elections where Alternative for Germany gets a very significant percentage of young people. These are warning signals that we keep getting."
Involve young people more in politics
As far as young people are concerned, dealing with loneliness is only one part of a wider spectrum of solutions needed to prevent the development of extremist attitudes, according to Milbrat. Political and civic education in schools, awareness of the history of Germany's Nazi past and a sense of influence within the democratic process are key.
The authors of the Kollekt study also said that politicians and civil society groups need to make political education accessible to all and create more opportunities for young people to participate in the democratic process.
"I think you can make society as a whole aware - what it really means when you tell the generation that will soon be in positions of power that their opinion doesn't count. Something can be done about that," said Milbrat.
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