Okay, I feel like I need to very quickly point out, before his lawyers email us, that I was perhaps a little overzealous with the title.
Arnold doesn’t support us per se, but he has sent out a newsletter discussing the negative health implications caused by loneliness, which we are committed to fighting.
Our mission at Brane is to combat loneliness by allowing people to easily and freely connect with like-minded users near them. So Arnold, if you’re reading this and you’re looking for a new gym buddy, or someone to talk to about miniature horses and Austrian beer, download Brane and find someone near you today!
Here is what the Terminator had to say:
You’re Smoking 15 Cigarettes (And You Don’t Even Know It)
We all know that smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things you can do for your health. But did you know that being disconnected from others is arguably just as bad — if not worse — for your health?
Researchers from three different universities studied the impact of social isolation and unhappiness on older individuals and found that loneliness ages a person faster than smoking. Prior research had already suggested that a lack of family, friendship, or community was linked to a 30 percent increase in the likelihood of heart disease and stroke and a 50 percent increase in the likelihood of dementia.
But the new research offered a new perspective. The data suggests a lack of connection and hopelessness was the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes per day or having 6 drinks daily. To be clear, the researchers created a way of scoring how health behaviors impact biological age. It gives you a sense of good and bad, but it’s hard to predict the overall impact on health, and biological age is not a clear predictor of longevity. That said, isolation creates a domino effect that reduces the likelihood of performing healthy behaviors, which is a real reason for concern. According to the researchers, people who are lonely tend to get less exercise and don’t sleep or eat as well.
We know it can be hard to connect, so remember being social is not about the total number of friendships. It’s about sharing a sense of values, beliefs, and interests, whether connecting with old friends or family, people in a chat room or gaming environment, or at an event like a concert or sports. All have a positive effect and lead to feeling connected. It doesn’t matter if you’re introverted or extroverted, interact with people in-person or virtually; do your best to find your tribe of people, and realize that you’re not alone in this world. It can be a life-changer.
