The Importance of Tackling Loneliness and the ‘Connection Deficit’ in 2024
In late 2023, Citizen Relations released a report with some shocking findings. Specifically, with regards to loneliness, the U.S. surgeon general found it to be more fatal than smoking and obesity; Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto, Canada said 45,000 yearly deaths were due to it; and with society coming out of a very antisocial pandemic era, this indicated a global connection crisis.
Headlining the report were some key points, including the fact that we have deliberately shrunk our social circles. Yet, in spite of that, 57% of respondents indicated that they still sometimes feel lonely even when surrounded by people. Moreover, in a world where online connections are becoming more and more prevalent, 78% indicated that they prefer spending time with real people… you can begin to see the issues. In short, social connectivity is a big and critical matter for brands and agencies to tackle, but an especially necessary and worthwhile one across 2024.
So, to discuss what this will look like, the research process, and key stats from the findings, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sits down with Nick Cowling, global CEO of Citizen Relations, for a chat.
LBB> Starting at the top, tell us all about the Connections Report! How did this initiative come to pass, and why is this something Citizen Relations wanted to do?
Nick> In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general declared that loneliness poses risks as deadly as smoking. In Canada, around 45,000 deaths a year are attributed to loneliness, and the minister of loneliness in the UK has declared loneliness one of the greatest public health challenges of all time. Just recently, WHO made loneliness a global health priority, and even made a new commission on social connection.
So clearly, there’s a serious challenge. And, as a PR agency with a mission to make every conversation count, we see conversation as a conduit to connection - and conversations are what we specialise in. So, we decided to investigate this crisis of connection our world is facing and surveyed 3,000 plus consumers in the UK, US and Canada to see how they connect with each other, with society and with themselves. The Citizen Connections Report is the first of an annual review on the state of social connection in our society, and explores what role brands and organisations can play in improving this state.
LBB> Studying human connection and loneliness is no small task. Where does one start with something like this? How did you find the best jumping off point, and how did that inform your approach to research?
Nick> You are right, it's not a small task. In fact it's such a big task that we couldn’t actually do it all in this first wave. We didn’t study loneliness intricately, instead we strategically chose to create the baseline necessary for us to explore the current level of social connectivity people have. There is a difference, right? We didn’t explore loneliness; but we were able to identify that it exists and with whom. We didn’t explore what humans want from connection intimately, but we were able to understand what current connectivity looks like, and what and how and who they are connecting to. We anticipate that our next wave of this study, due later this year, may unpack loneliness and connection to a further degree, now that we know how global citizens are behaving.
As for the logistics behind it, the study was conducted in June 2023 by Research+Knowledge=Insight (RKI), an independent research company based in Toronto. It calculated the responses of 3,075 citizens of Canada, US and UK (1,058 in Canada, 1,006 in US and 1,011 in the UK). The margin of error is overall, plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
LBB> And what are the most crucial takeaways, in your opinion?
Nick> Essentially, our most basic finding changes the conversation from people not wanting to be connected, and the issues that come with it, to people wanting more social connection, but possibly being held back by things such as mental health, trying to find meaningful engagements while balancing offline and online preferences, and the weakening of social ties.
Our report also identified a clear ‘connection deficit’ - almost universally, consumers desire more social connection but are held back. We found that three major factors are possibly driving this deficit:
- Selective Social Interaction: Post-pandemic, 74% of people have become more selective about their social circles. Political polarisation has led to 15% losing friends, while 16% gained friends with similar beliefs, illustrating a shift in social dynamics.
- The Online-Offline Balance: While 78% prefer in-person interactions for better communication and camaraderie, a quarter also find value in online connections due to their convenience and specificity. However, trust in online relationships remains low, with only 12% trusting online acquaintances.
- Mental Health Challenges: Mental health emerges as a significant barrier to connection; 57% of respondents feel lonely even in a crowd, and 20% experience heightened anxiety in social settings. Importantly, mental health is the top social issue people expect brands to address.
LBB> Notably, to approach a healthier balance, people need to seek an active balance of online and offline relationships. Why is this so important? And what makes an imbalance so dangerous?
Nick> Both online and offline relationships have importance and relevance in our society, and instead of pitting the two against each other, it’s important to maintain a balance of both.
Unsurprisingly, there has been an increase in online connections in a post-pandemic world. Respondents have cited them as beneficial in discovering like-minded individuals because of their convenience and specificity, as we can see with the surge in platforms such as Reddit and Twitch. However, trust in online relationships is still low, with only 12% of respondents trusting online acquaintances. There’s an unwavering preference for offline connections, with 78% choosing to spend time with others in real life, as it improves communication and builds camaraderie.
Having this balance becomes even more important when it comes to building more meaningful relationships, such as finding a life partner. But that doesn’t mean online connections, and the tools used to achieve them, hold us back from meaningful connection. In fact, 81% of respondents say that at least one social platform has made a positive impact on their life. Ultimately, it’s about balancing and utilising the benefits of both.
LBB> The connection style groupings in the report are super cool. How did you come up with these, and what made them the right way to sort people?
Nick> We had a hypothesis that people's experiences and reactions would be more similar than dissimilar based on their comfort level (and desire for) connection with others. So, we created the question (below) and had people self identify:
Which is the closest to how you feel about connection to others and your community?
The hypothesis was born out of the data, and the resulting groupings share additional character traits in addition to their connectedness level:
Think about how you feel specifically about your group of friends, acquaintances and around meeting new people:
- I go out of my way to connect with people. I am at my best surrounded by people, and I seek out opportunities to be around others.
- I make friends easily and like to spend my time with others and in groups.
- I enjoy the time I spend with people, but I prefer to be alone when I can.
- I get uncomfortable and feel out of sorts when having to spend time around others.
- I prefer to be alone and have structured my life to be mostly just me and or my family members only.
LBB> Undoubtedly, people have various reactions to social connectivity. A traditional ‘introvert’, for instance, might not feel comfortable when tackling the connection deficit. As such, how can the findings of this report be balanced with the comfort levels of each individual, while still being used to promote overall mental wellbeing?
Nick> This is exactly where the ‘connector types’ come in. We have some respondents who are ‘charmers’ and can make friends very easily, while others are ‘bashful’ and often feel out of their depth when they have to spend time with others. But, what we found is that almost universally, across all the connector types, there is an increased desire for more connection and that can take different forms.
All in all, the report aims to understand their behaviour so marketers and brands can play their role in designing better experiences for all individuals, respecting what they need and creating space for a variety of ways consumers comfortably come together.
LBB> Another key takeaway is the fact that collectively, we shrunk our social circles. What’s causing this? And is this something we’re likely to see revert in 2024?
Nick> Political polarisation, a deep mistrust in the media, and the familiarity of our pandemic ‘social bubbling’ days, amongst other factors, have caused us to deliberately shrink our social circles. Because our ties or connection to those outside our inner circle - political leaders, media personalities and even your colleagues - have weakened, people have turned to their innermost circle, including ourselves. In fact, a third of our respondents reported feeling more connected ‘to myself’ after living through a pandemic. There is a fear of friction - we don’t want to engage in conversations that are ‘controversial’ and therefore, burrow into smaller comfortable corners.
While we can’t be certain this will revert in 2024, Citizen’s hope is to start conversations with brands and organisations to help move in this direction - to combat that burrowing and foster more open and meaningful connection with each other. With the increase in geopolitical tensions, unstable economies and a global cost of living crisis, it can seem bleak. But alongside this tension, we’ve also seen a shift in priorities where governments are recognising the urgency with which we need to address this crisis of connection. Now is the time for brands and organisations to also step forward, and agency partners can help.
LBB> To this end, the report suggests several key solutions, including letting purpose drive change. What does this mean for brands and agencies? How can they adopt this viewpoint to achieve success in the future?
Nick> Nearly 90% of respondents said there was at least one societal issue they want brands to address. This means that as brands and agencies - organisations with the impact to create social change - we should invest in campaigns that tackle social issues head on, take a clear stance on social issues, put these social issues at the forefront of their internal communications and initiatives, and consider how the campaigns and activations they are planning will build stronger connections. If done with bravery and clarity, the bottom line will follow.
And we’ve already begun seeing this happen. Most recently, Hinge partnered with the Foundation for Social Connection to create a Distraction-Free Dating Guide, which aims to increase the quality time couples spend together on dates. Another recent example is of the Dutch soup brand, Oma Soep, that introduced designated green grocery baskets at various Albert Heijn grocery stores to indicate which shoppers are open to chatting with those around them. Brands have always tried to get people to connect with them. But now, we believe brands need to instead help people connect with each other.
LBB> An interesting observation the report made was the importance of letting people disagree. However, we’re also in a time when more than ever, brands taking a stance on key issues is important. So, with this in mind, how can they find a happy middle ground?
Nick> Disagreement can be so powerful! A broad range of ideas and perspectives help create opportunities for growth, positive outcomes, and help new ideas emerge. When we help people disagree better, we create space for conflicting thoughts and ideas that provide a broader view of situations. Helping people disagree better means having a point of view - even if it’s unpopular or scary - and standing up for what may otherwise go unsaid. Brands can help encourage a free flow of conversation, in a safe and protected environment, where ideas are exchanged and minds are open.
LBB> With all this in mind, how is this report influencing the way Citizen approaches its internal relationships?
Nick> At Citizen, we are driven by our mission to make conversations count, and that starts internally. We take a balanced approach that equally prioritises the needs of our employees and the needs of our business - and places an emphasis on finding connection points. We create regular opportunities for staff to come together in our offices around the world at weekly social gatherings and quarterly themed global town halls that offices are encouraged to attend in person. Additionally, employees have the chance to foster deeper connections through such internal initiatives as ‘End-Of-Week Connects’ in Canada, where each week, different employees share their thoughts on any topic they feel passionate about in an all-staff email, mentorship programs across the Citizen network, and our recently launched Citizen value awards, ‘The Mods’ where three grand prize winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to any Citizen office to connect with new co-workers.
We also continue to provide a high degree of flexibility for our staff to work where is best for them, depending on the type of work they are doing and personal circumstances. We offer employees autonomy to make decisions around where and how they can work best. This flexibility is also based on the acknowledgement that the need for connection is met in different ways at different times, and what constitutes meaningful social connection varies from individual to individual. A rooftop karaoke party could be the preferred choice for many, but for others it could be coming together to support a non-profit, a trip to the theatre, or a friendly game of pickleball!
All in all, we continue to test and learn different approaches of hybrid work and social planning to best support the needs of our growing and diverse staff across the world.
LBB> Finally, how will this information and its takeaways be developed going into 2024? And are there any parting thoughts you’d like to leave readers with?
Nick> The conversation on connection will be on-going; 2023 gave us a clear view of where we currently stand, the existence of a connection deficit, and the opportunity brands and organisations have to bridge it. We look forward to partnering with our clients on tackling this. But we can’t stop here - we are already getting ready to field a new survey to shed new light on connections in mid-2024, and look forward to sharing our findings in the autumn!
In the meantime, we encourage readers to give our report a read, consider what ‘connector type’ they are, and what shifts can be made in 2024 to make space for more meaningful social connection. Similar to a commitment to healthy eating or fitness, nurturing connection in our lives is clearly critical to our overall well-being, and it’s time we all start paying closer attention!
