Loneliness is something that every single person in the world has felt at one time or another; the desire to connect with other humans is something we all share.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the rates of loneliness, especially among senior citizens, have grown considerably.
How can we help combat the loneliness that the elderly feel?
One Dutch supermarket has found a way!
They introduced the idea of the ‘chat checkout lanes’ where seniors can feel more comfortable in taking their time and striking up a real conversation with the people checking them out.
Studies have found that of the 1.3 million people over 75 living in the Netherlands, 33% of them report feeling lonely.
There are times when these people go days without any human interaction and it is affecting them greatly.
Loneliness can lead to increased risks of heart issues, strokes, dementia, and depression and even one simple friendly interaction can help to counter that.
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The Dutch supermarkets that are rolling out the chat checkouts have also introduced chat corners to their stores.
In these chat corners people are encouraged to sit and drink some tea or coffee while they converse with the people around them.
These chat corners are not limited to only senior citizens as everyone can feel lonely at one time or another.
In Japan, the loneliness of the elderly residents was getting so bad some of them would resort to shoplifting in the hopes of some human interaction.
These people felt that the only way to get anyone to actually take the time out to talk to them was to misbehave, and they felt that shoplifting was the way to do it.
Others report that they felt so invisible that they didn’t think anyone would notice or care enough to stop them.
It is not only the senior population who’s loneliness has increased the last few years.
Everyone has felt the affects of having to isolate themselves to help stop the spread of the Corona virus.
While kids and teens used to be able to see their friends and classmates at school everyday, with the introduction of online classes lots of kids have reported feeling lonelier.
Many governments have noticed the affects of having their citizens feel lonely and have introduces “Loneliness Departments”.
These sections of the government were created to not only study the effects of loneliness, but also to help try and come up with ways to alleviate it.
Creating these chat checkouts is a part of the Netherland’s solution, and so far it has been quite successful.
These checkouts are not able to be open all the time, but there are designated days and times where seniors can feel comfortable in taking the time to chat with their cashier.
Many of these chat checkouts are being staffed by volunteers that are looking for a way to give back to their community, while also easing their own loneliness.
By stopping and actually having real genuine conversations with those around you, you may help to ease the new pandemic we are facing, the pandemic of loneliness.
Learn about the chat checkout lanes in the video below.
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