How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness

Micaela Rodriguez (), Kathryn E. Schertz and Ethan Kross
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Micaela Rodriguez: University of Michigan
Kathryn E. Schertz: University of Michigan
Ethan Kross: University of Michigan

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Loneliness is a widespread issue routinely targeted by the media and public health campaigns. We propose that these efforts, though well-intentioned, may exacerbate this problem by negatively influencing a potential driver of loneliness: people’s beliefs about being alone. Supporting this thesis, we show that contemporary U.S. news articles are 10 times more likely to describe being alone as harmful than beneficial (Study 1, N = 144 articles) and that exposure to such articles causally impacts people’s beliefs about being alone (Study 2, N = 456). Further, a 2-week experience-sampling study (Study 3, N = 161) demonstrates that people with negative beliefs about being alone experience a steep increase in loneliness after spending time alone in daily life, whereas those with positive beliefs feel less lonely after spending time alone. Finally, multi-national studies demonstrate the generalizability of these results across nine countries spanning six continents (Studies 4 and 5, N = 2930). Together, these findings reveal the critical role of beliefs about being alone in shaping loneliness.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56764-3

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