This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions
Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.
This Sunday we will examine the very human experience of loneliness.
A 2019 Angus-Reid study (https://angusreid.org/social-isolation-loneliness-canada/) showed that 62% of Canadians say they would like their friends and family to spend more time with them, while only 14% would describe the current state of their social lives as “very good.” Visible minorities, Indigenous Canadians, those with mobility challenges, and LGBTQ2 individuals are more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness compared to the general population.
A more recent survey (Feb 2021) conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Global News (https://globalnews.ca/news/7602406/loneliness-pandemic-canada/) echoed these findings, with more than half of Canadians reporting loneliness. In a UK study (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8701763.stm), 60% of 18 to 34 year-olds stated that they often feel lonely, and 46% of Americans say that they regularly feel lonely.
Statistic Canada (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021007/article/00001-eng.htm) reports that recent and long-term immigrants report higher levels of loneliness than Canadian-born residents. And loneliness did not appear to be lessened by the length of stay in Canada.
• Is loneliness a part of our biology?
• How has the modern world changed our experience of loneliness and how does this impact our health?
• Is a self-preservation mode helpful?
• How can we strive to be less lonely?
We will watch a short video that tackles the issue of loneliness with intelligence and clarity (presented by a German animation and design studio called Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (https://www.youtube.com/c/inanutshell/about). Their mission is to ‘make science look beautiful’).
Our regular Toronto Oasis participant Kristen Gane will introduce the subject and also provide some thoughts to get us started on the discussion.
Kristen is a Registered Psychotherapist (with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario), a professional member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association and the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists. She is also a writer and artist.
Please RSVP on meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/bhgwksyccpblc/
Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!