Join us as we tackle the growing issue of loneliness, and our deeply human need to belong alongside huge topics like mental health, autism and discrimination. We’re seeing the issue of loneliness grow all around the world, and while we may think of loneliness as something that mainly impacts older generations, research shows that 18-34 year olds are most likely to be affected. And yes it’s sometimes to do with phones and social media, but there’s more to it than that. It’s about how we interact with the world around us.
So we’ve found nine very different young adults who are searching for connection in their lives. We’ve paired them each with a mentor who’ll give them insights and strategies to combat loneliness and navigate their way beyond. From ADHD and times of transition; to migration and childhood grief; each participant will explore an area of their lives that is causing them to feel lonely.
Our mentors include Ru Paul superstar, Kween Kong; Counsellor and Artist Tessa Blenclowe; Academic and Fire Dragon Feminist Dr Quah Ee Ling; and Psychologist and Podcaster James Van Cuylenburg. Our host is Human Connection Scientist, Dr Ali Walker and we also speak with World Health Organisation and University of Sydney Researcher Dr Daniel Surkalim.
We Are Lonely is funded as part of Medibank’s ten year initiative to combat loneliness.
Season 3 Episode 10 - Loneliness in the TikTok generation
How do social media and our interaction with our phones impact our loneliness? In this special episode of We Are Lonely, our host Ali Walker talks to Dr Daniel Suraklim about the positives and negatives of social media in our search for connection.
Daniel works for the World Health Organisation's commission on social connection and discusses some burning questions we all want to know about the impact of social media like “Is social media actually making us more lonely?”
5 Nov 2024
Season 3 Episode 9 - Loneliness and Disability
Living with physical disability can be isolating both physically and emotionally. What can we do to stay connected to other people when we’re facing physical barriers? In her early twenties Rhiannon developed a disability that had far reaching impacts on her life experience. Being bedridden and unable to connect with friends in person saw her struggle to maintain a lifestyle she’d loved as a teenager.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Rhiannon meets up with counsellor and mentor Tessa Blenclowe. Together they work out how to have difficult, honest conversations and reach out to people when you’ve drifted apart.
29 Oct 2024
Season 3 Episode 8 - Loneliness and Creativity
Being a musician, an artist or a writer is a beautiful thing, but the hard road to creative success can also become lonely. Josie’s a singer songwriter who’s excited to be following her passion. She’s also experienced the loneliness that can come with creating something personal. When this is mixed with a chronic illness, finding the energy to constantly push yourself out there can be daunting.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Josie meets with the creative icon Kween Kong and they explore how isolation can be a curse and a gift in pursuit of creative expression. Kween also gives Josie some insights into how to cross over the threshold between aspiring artist and a creative career.
22 Oct 2024
Season 3 Episode 7 - Loneliness and Autism
Being neurodivergent isn’t the same for everyone. For Orin, the experience of Autism (ASD) has meant that social connection has always been challenging. As a non-binary and polyamorous person, Orin always felt the need to mask and ‘play the game’ in order to fit in. Their struggle with trusting people has also created more barriers to connection.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Orin talks to psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg and explores how finding authentic expression has changed the way they interact with the world and with themselves.
15 Oct 2024
Season 3 Episode 6 - Loneliness and Finding Our Tribe
If your friends have different values to you, you may love them, but still feel a sense of loneliness. Gurnoor spent most of her teenage years seeking out people who were like her culturally, even if they didn’t connect on a deeper personal level. Now in her early twenties, Gurnoor is studying psychology and she’s ready to find her people.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Gurnoor meets with Dr Quah Ee Ling, an academic and activist who helps broaden ideas around community and connection.
8 Oct 2024
Season 3 Episode 5 - Loneliness and Mental Health
Living with ADHD and experiencing mental health challenges can have huge impacts on our sense of loneliness. After being diagnosed with ADHD in high school, Will realised that his struggle to connect was closely related to his mental health. Further diagnoses of Borderline Personality Disorder and Anxiety kept him isolated at a time when he needed to connect the most.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Will meets with mentor and psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg and explores the importance of being vulnerable and finding your place in the world. James sets Will a challenge that yields some unexpected outcomes.
1 Oct 2024
Season 3 Episode 4 - Loneliness and LGBTQIA+
People in the LGBTQIA+ community are at higher risk of loneliness than others. Curtis grew up in a regional country town, hiding his sexuality. His experience with loneliness was compounded by his simultaneous struggle with obesity. Now in his twenties, Curtis is a school teacher back in his hometown.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Curtis meets up with mentor and psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg. While navigating the tumultuous world of relationships, Curtis finds solace in creativity and self care.
26 Sept 2024
Season 3 Episode 3 - Loneliness and Migration
Living between cultures can have impacts on our self identity which can reinforce loneliness. Sonali migrated from India to Australia as a child. Ever since arriving she felt like she was stuck between two cultures - on one hand she was not Australian enough and on the other, not Indian enough.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Sonali meets with mentor Dr Quah Ee Ling, an academic who has her own immigration experience. Together, they work on strategies to explore Sonali’s relationship with herself, and her relationship with society.
25 Sept 2024
Season 3 Episode 2 - Loneliness After an Accident
A trauma or sudden life change can trigger loneliness, but there are ways we can ease the impacts. After being given a skydiving voucher for his twenty-first birthday, a parachute malfunction saw Brad fall fifteen thousand feet and miraculously survive. Dealing with the trauma from the accident was made more complicated by the fact that Brad had only recently come out as a gay man.
In this episode of We Are Lonely, Brad meets up with Ru Paul’s Drag Race finalist, Kween Kong. Together they explore how Brad’s near death experience isolated him from the culture he loved and sees him embark on an overseas odyssey to rediscover his need for community.
17 Sept 2024
Season 3 Episode 1 - Loneliness and Childhood Grief
How does experiencing grief or trauma as a child impact loneliness later in life? Tayla’s dad died when she was nine years old. Experiencing trauma at such a young age distanced her from her friends and the world around her. For Tayla, it felt easier to isolate herself than having to constantly explain the source of her grief.
Now in her twenties, Tayla wants to face her loneliness. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Tayla’s meeting with counsellor and mentor Tessa Blencowe and trying to find a way to break down the walls she’s built around herself. We’ll hear Tessa take Tayla through the process of Internal Family Systems Therapy, or parts theory.
10 Sept 2024
Season 3 Episode 0 - We Are Lonely
In this trailer of We Are Lonely, we’ll meet nine young Australians who are keen to understand loneliness and find connection in their lives, and we link them up with mentors like Ru Paul superstar Kween Kong. It’s normal to feel lonely, but when we stay lonely it can be worse for us than obesity, smoking and substance abuse, so let’s find out how to reconnect. We Are Lonely is funded as part of Medibank’s ten year initiative to combat loneliness.
11 Nov 2023
Season 2 Bonus Episode: Grief & Loneliness
Grief is something we will all experience, but it’s also something that can feel very lonely. Supported by Medibank, ‘We are Lonely’ is a podcast that seeks to demystify loneliness and this bonus episode shares participant Charity’s experience with grief and loneliness, and how creativity can help with healing and connection.
This episode brings together singer songwriter, Alice Skye, Aunty Bea Ballangarry and Charity to talk about grief, and to work on a piece of music as a form of healing. There's no typical, or right, way to grieve. There is also no proper time frame for grief. It’s important that you allow yourself to feel what you feel and not try to suppress it. Reaching out and connecting with people, sharing memories, listening to music, meditating, writing about how we feel and taking the time to care for ourselves are all ways through grief.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to reach out for help. Thirteen Yarn is a national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They have a dedicated crisis support on Thirteen Ninety Two Seventy Six. Or you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or ReachOut dot com, which offers dedicated support for young people.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Charity
Mentors: Alice Skye and Aunty Bea Ballangarry
3 Sept 2023
Season 2 Episode 6 - We Are Lonely: The Grand Final
We’ve had a chance to get to know our participants pretty well by now, but they still haven’t met each other. So we do the thing that is most practical when it comes to loneliness - bringing people together.
Charity, Tim, Aleks and Holly all head to Melbourne to meet and share their experiences with each other.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Charity, Aleks, Tim and Holly
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
26 Aug 2023
Season 2 Episode 5 - We Are Lonely: Social Media & Technology
It’s pretty common to blame our blooming loneliness on technology. In this episode we tease out that theory and look at the ways technology is both helping and hindering our connection with other people.
Tim also meets with a psychologist who is part of a gaming research program to talk through the impacts gaming has on our brains and how to control our relationship with technology.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Tim, Holly, Aleks and Charity
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
Guest - Shane Southwood
19 Aug 2023
Season 2 Episode 4 - We Are Lonely: Finding Your Passions
Reaching into where you feel joy, where you feel accepted and happy is a powerful way to build connection. Holly does something she would never have faced just months ago and heads to a yoga retreat alone. Tim reignites his passion for drag and Charity steps into the world of study.
Sometimes connection doesn’t have to be with people just like us, it can be with people who like the same things as us.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Charity, Tim and Holly
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
13 Aug 2023
Season 2 Episode 3 - We Are Lonely: Stepping Out
How does our relationship with the world and the people around us make us lonely? And how do we fix it? Aleks, Charity, Holly and Tim are getting ready to step into the world, and find their people.
During our 20’s our relationships are changing a fair bit. Only a few years ago we were at school, we each had our school identity - sporty, academic, musical, popular. Then we left school and the world felt a bit bigger and the options for how we presented to the world expanded. Naturally, alongside those changes, a lot of our friendships might be adapting as well. There can be a lot of rethinking of who we want to be with and what we want from our relationships.
We cover a heap in this episode, from the impacts of racism to communication skills and how to have the courage to step out.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Aleks, Charity, Tim and Holly
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
Guest - Aunty Bea Ballangarry
5 Aug 2023
Season 2 Episode 2 - We Are Lonely: Looking Inward
What does your relationship with yourself have to do with being lonely? When you think about loneliness it’s easy to focus on how many friends you have, how connected you are with the outside world. But loneliness isn’t that simple - you can feel lonely in the company of others and you can feel content alone. In this episode our participants and their mentors take a moment to look inwards and work out who they are, and who they want to be.
This question of self discovery, of understanding our place in the world, is part of why we can feel particularly disconnected in our twenties. We’re trying to find the answers to those questions - Who am I? Where do I fit? Where do I want to be? Who are my people? And at the same time we’re sorting out the practicalities of living in the world outside of our family.
It can be exhausting, and it can be isolating.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Charity, Holly, Aleks and Tim
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
4 Aug 2023
Season 2 Episode 1 - We Are Lonely: An Introduction
Why are we lonely? Holly found herself in a habit of being alone after experiencing years of illness; Tim moved into a studio apartment in Melbourne just as the second lockdown hit; Charity is working through generations of disconnection forced on her family through Stolen Generations; and Aleks finds the pressure of managing a multi-faceted career and study life can overtake his downtime and peace. We join our participants as they each meet their mentor and start to understand why they’re feeling lonely.
It seems as quickly as we’re filling this planet we’re each becoming more isolated. One in three people in Australia are experiencing high levels of loneliness; the UK has a Minister of Loneliness; and the US Surgeon General has declared loneliness a health epidemic. This matters, because while loneliness is a normal human emotion, if we allow that feeling to become chronic, it has serious health consequences. It can be worse for us than obesity or casual smoking.
Host: Jemma Sbeg
Participants: Holly, Tim, Charity and Aleks
Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe
Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy
21 Jul 2023
Season 2 Episode 0 - We Are Lonely: A Taste
It seems as quickly as we’re filling this planet we’re each becoming more isolated. One in three people in Australia are experiencing high levels of loneliness. The UK now has a Minister of Loneliness and the US Surgeon General has declared loneliness a health epidemic. And whilst it can seem like a simple human emotion, loneliness can have serious health implications. Being consistently lonely can be as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And so we built this podcast to break the loneliness cycle.
We’ve connected four people in their twenties with mentors to help them reconnect. We’re calling it a reality documentary podcast.
We are Lonely will be available where you get your podcasts from August 8th.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
4.8 / 5
33 ratings
Contact We Are Lonely
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of We Are Lonely?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
