‘Far right groups prey on it’: Olivia Laing on the weaponisation of loneliness
A decade after The Lonely City was first published, the writer reflects on what’s changed – and how the feelings that drove them to write their bestseller are key to understanding our turbulent politics
TL;DR
- Loneliness, once a private shame, is now widely discussed as a social and public health issue.
- The internet, which once offered solace, is now a platform where far-right groups exploit loneliness for recruitment.
- Social media algorithms create information silos, exacerbating divergent realities and impacting civic society.
- Far-right groups and movements like the manosphere prey on feelings of isolation, offering narratives that displace vulnerability onto targeted groups.
- AI chatbots and virtual companions are marketed as solutions but risk entrenching loneliness by deskilling users in human relationships.
- Solutions to loneliness lie in collective action, strengthening community assets, and refusing stigma, not individual partnerships.
- Loneliness is identified as a key factor in turbulent politics and a root cause of growing violence and mistrust.