Loneliness
![Photo of a wet pavement reflecting the shadow of a person holding an umbrella and nearby illuminated lights on a rainy day.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/81d10317-694f-4898-869b-6cb74f43e6ef/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Personality disorders
idea
Some people feel so utterly alone it’s as if they don’t exist
People diagnosed with ‘avoidant personality disorder’ fear getting close to other people, yet crave greater connection
by Kristine Dahl Sørensen & Marit Råbu
![Photo of two people hugging tightly in an emotional embrace in an outdoor setting, with a crowd blurred in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/baa0be9b-2ee0-4c6a-abed-d90bf6539b00/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Technology and media
idea
Technology promises hugs at a distance. Beware what you wish for
New ‘haptic’ technologies promise to help us touch each other at a distance, but they could leave us even more isolated
by Andrew Wold & Rebecca Böhme
![Two women in hijabs sit on a park bench in autumn, one smiling with outstretched arms, surrounded by fallen leaves and trees.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3b109c44-3de0-4167-8ba4-fd51b70d48e0/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Ageing
guide
How to feel less lonely as you get older
Work and family life are no longer so busy and life can suddenly seem empty. Here are some good ways to stay connected
by Carrie Ditzel
![Woman outdoors smiling and holding a gimbal with mounted smartphone, showing a blonde AI woman on the phone screen, wearing a surgical mask pulled below her chin.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2e042c6f-ed42-44dd-bf31-38fc193f3fee/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Love
film
‘Why can’t you be real?’ The emotionally fraught business of falling for an AI
Directed by Chouwa Liang
![A boy wearing a cap and t-shirt sits alone on white stadium bleachers, looking to the side with his arms crossed.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/bea95337-3cc4-49f1-a898-7348082cb75b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Loneliness
guide
How to overcome the loneliness of youth
It’s extremely common to feel lonely when you’re young. Many strategies can help, the key is finding what works for you
by Lily Verity & Pamela Qualter
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/615598b9-b0bd-49b2-a1ea-a94fbc6c098f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Nature and the environment
film
Watching for wildfires merges ancient and modern in our relationship to nature
Directed by Lindsey Hagen