Google recently reported that a record number of internet searches reflect the depths of our loneliness epidemic. More than ever, people are seeking ways “to make friends,” and looking for places where they might find friends.
That report came on the heels of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s special advisory on America’s loneliness epidemic. Glowing interviews and stories about Murthy’s 81-page report — titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” — have been making the rounds in podcasts, medical journals, and “news” outlets. The reporting is peppered with friendly platitudes about bringing people together and “reaching out” to loved ones.
Don’t be taken in by that hype. This advisory and the strategy it proposes are fraught with threats to freedom. Keep this in mind: “Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action” (emphases added).
I recently offered an in-depth analysis of the “six pillars” of the strategy here at The Federalist. Here I summarize the dangers they pose.
The advisory foreshadows an unprecedented invasion of private spaces by the federal government that could completely undermine our most fundamental freedoms. If fully implemented, the project could place the federal government in de facto control of your local community and social associations of every kind. It also threatens to dictate what you can say, what values you should have, and what associations are acceptable. It seems poised to reinforce that control with surveillance.
Government Won’t Acknowledge Helping Create the Problem
Loneliness and social
