A mountain of research has linked loneliness to an increased risk of dementia, depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke and early death.

Loneliness is officially a health emergency in California’s San Mateo County, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and includes part of Silicon Valley.

The county’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Tuesday that declared loneliness a public health crisis and pledged to explore measures that promote social connection in the community.

It’s the first county in the U.S. to make such a declaration.

  • Rooskie91@discuss.online
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    9 months ago

    I would argue it not the loss of Church’s by themselves, but their loss without a good replacement. You can’t go anywhere in America and gather without paying. There’s no place to just…exist. Even Churches usually required dues.

    • Evkob@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Anybody who wants to get mad about this, look up the sociology concept of third place.

      Here’s a great ~10 minute video from Not Just Bikes on YouTube about third places and how current city planing trends promote social isolation.

      • stratosfear@lemmy.sdf.org
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        9 months ago

        This concept and this video are so fantastic. Goes to show how broken N America is, I’ve been around the block a few times and never really had a chance to stop at a local…