October Pundit 4

Jylliann Huff

Let's Wage a War on Loneliness ( https://nyti.ms/2qG3jDK )

The condition isn't just depressing. It can be deadly.

The New York Times

November 9, 2019

Nicolas Kristof discusses the unexpected epidemic of loneliness throughout this article. Britain has begun studies showing that loneliness can kill more people than obesity, causes both heart issues and dementia. Loneliness has an extreme drag on society, so Britain came up with a clever solution: appoint a minister for loneliness. This minister, Baroness Barron, attributes this increase of loneliness to the lack of community activities and connections. Marriage has decreased in both Britain and America. Loneliness poses two major health risks; the feeling releases stress hormones that cause inflammation, and makes a person more unwilling to take care of themselves both medically and emotionally. Baroness Barron responded to this issue by creating the “Let’s Talk Loneliness”, which provides groups and organizations for community activities. 

The purpose of this article is one of concern and not of politics. Kristof’s goal in writing this article is to enlighten the readers on how much loneliness can deeply affect us and to use Britain’s solution as an example for America. The exigence for this article is the increase in deaths due to loneliness, as Kristof immediately began his article with a statistic comparing loneliness to obesity and smoking. His tone remains worried but also proactive. Instead of just including facts about the gravity of loneliness, Kristof provides solutions presented by Britain that could potentially benefit everyone. Kristof effectively illustrates the severity of loneliness through his use of logic and emotions.