Swedish city reveals plan to help community fight loneliness. And it begins with a simple greeting.
A city in Sweden has apparently come up with a plan to inject some life into what has been characterized as post-pandemic loneliness, and the whole process beginning with simply greeting another person.
Fox News Digital reported that Luleå, Sweden’s “Säg hej!” — or, “say hello” – initiative aims to address the issue with advertisements that try to encourage people to greet each other in small ways, all in an effort to generate warmth and a sense of community.
The effort comes after the COVID-19 pandemic, where people were limited in the ways that they could engage with other people. Many in the U.S. were limited to communication via social media, which can create a sense of distance and detachment from the real world.
Luleå reportedly does not experience a lot of sunlight during the cold months, and melancholy can quickly set in by not being able to actively engage with other people, according to Micael Dahlen, a professor in wellbeing, welfare, and happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics.
“Loneliness and isolation are huge problems any time of the year almost anywhere in the world right now,” Dahlen said.
“It comes with the time we live in, the lifestyles we have, where we don’t necessarily come across each other to the same extent as we used to,” he added.
Advertisement have already been introduced into the community on buses, and various workshops are being held in schools, according to a recent report by the Guardian.
Though people living in Luleå have ways of keeping themselves busy during the dark, winter months, people there continue to suffer from an element of loneliness.
According to recent research, around 45% of those between 16 and 29 years old in Luleå have experienced various problems as a result of loneliness. However, among those older than 85 years old, loneliness was much less of an issue.
Additionally, loneliness is not just a personal issue without lasting effects. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said that loneliness can have a substantial impact on long-term physical health.
However, the overall goal of the campaign is not to just make people less lonely, but to make the area more friendly.
Åsa Koski, who reportedly came up with the idea, said that “[w]e don’t just want that Luleå is going to grow as a city; we want Luleå to be a pleasant and safe and friendly city as well where there’s culture, leisure activities, sport.”
Koski went on to mention that someone being spoken to by a stranger can make them feel as if they belong instead of an outsider.
“Research shows that it [greeting someone] has an effect on health and often an effect on wanting to help each other. If you say hi to your neighbours you are more likely to help them,” Koski said.
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