How do social media and our interaction with our phones impact our loneliness? In this special episode of We Are Lonely, our host Ali Walker talks to Dr Daniel Suraklim about the positives and negatives of social media in our search for connection. Daniel works for the World Health Organisation's commission on social connection and discusses some burning questions we all want to know about the impact of social media like “Is social media actually making us more lonely?”

Living with physical disability can be isolating both physically and emotionally. What can we do to stay connected to other people when we’re facing physical barriers? In her early twenties Rhiannon developed a disability that had far reaching impacts on her life experience. Being bedridden and unable to connect with friends in person saw her struggle to maintain a lifestyle she’d loved as a teenager. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Rhiannon meets up with counsellor and mentor Tessa Blenclowe. Together they work out how to have difficult, honest conversations and reach out to people when you’ve drifted apart.

Being a musician, an artist or a writer is a beautiful thing, but the hard road to creative success can also become lonely. Josie’s a singer songwriter who’s excited to be following her passion. She’s also experienced the loneliness that can come with creating something personal. When this is mixed with a chronic illness, finding the energy to constantly push yourself out there can be daunting. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Josie meets with the creative icon Kween Kong and they explore how isolation can be a curse and a gift in pursuit of creative expression. Kween also gives Josie some insights into how to cross over the threshold between aspiring artist and a creative career.

Being neurodivergent isn’t the same for everyone. For Orin, the experience of Autism (ASD) has meant that social connection has always been challenging. As a non-binary and polyamorous person, Orin always felt the need to mask and ‘play the game’ in order to fit in. Their struggle with trusting people has also created more barriers to connection. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Orin talks to psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg and explores how finding authentic expression has changed the way they interact with the world and with themselves.

If your friends have different values to you, you may love them, but still feel a sense of loneliness. Gurnoor spent most of her teenage years seeking out people who were like her culturally, even if they didn’t connect on a deeper personal level. Now in her early twenties, Gurnoor is studying psychology and she’s ready to find her people.  In this episode of We Are Lonely, Gurnoor meets with Dr Quah Ee Ling, an academic and activist who helps broaden ideas around community and connection.

Living with ADHD and experiencing mental health challenges can have huge impacts on our sense of loneliness. After being diagnosed with ADHD in high school, Will realised that his struggle to connect was closely related to his mental health. Further diagnoses of Borderline Personality Disorder and Anxiety kept him isolated at a time when he needed to connect the most. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Will meets with mentor and psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg and explores the importance of being vulnerable and finding your place in the world. James sets Will a challenge that yields some unexpected outcomes.

People in the LGBTQIA+ community are at higher risk of loneliness than others. Curtis grew up in a regional country town, hiding his sexuality. His experience with loneliness was compounded by his simultaneous struggle with obesity. Now in his twenties, Curtis is a school teacher back in his hometown. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Curtis meets up with mentor and psychologist Dr James Van Cuylenburg. While navigating the tumultuous world of relationships, Curtis finds solace in creativity and self care.

Living between cultures can have impacts on our self identity which can reinforce loneliness. Sonali migrated from India to Australia as a child. Ever since arriving she felt like she was stuck between two cultures - on one hand she was not Australian enough and on the other, not Indian enough. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Sonali meets with mentor Dr Quah Ee Ling, an academic who has her own immigration experience. Together, they work on strategies to explore Sonali’s relationship with herself, and her relationship with society.

A trauma or sudden life change can trigger loneliness, but there are ways we can ease the impacts. After being given a skydiving voucher for his twenty-first birthday, a parachute malfunction saw Brad fall fifteen thousand feet and miraculously survive. Dealing with the trauma from the accident was made more complicated by the fact that Brad had only recently come out as a gay man. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Brad meets up with Ru Paul’s Drag Race finalist, Kween Kong. Together they explore how Brad’s near death experience isolated him from the culture he loved and sees him embark on an overseas odyssey to rediscover his need for community.

How does experiencing grief or trauma as a child impact loneliness later in life? Tayla’s dad died when she was nine years old. Experiencing trauma at such a young age distanced her from her friends and the world around her. For Tayla, it felt easier to isolate herself than having to constantly explain the source of her grief. Now in her twenties, Tayla wants to face her loneliness. In this episode of We Are Lonely, Tayla’s meeting with counsellor and mentor Tessa Blencowe and trying to find a way to break down the walls she’s built around herself. We’ll hear Tessa take Tayla through the process of Internal Family Systems Therapy, or parts theory.

In this trailer of We Are Lonely, we’ll meet nine young Australians who are keen to understand loneliness and find connection in their lives, and we link them up with mentors like Ru Paul superstar Kween Kong. It’s normal to feel lonely, but when we stay lonely it can be worse for us than obesity, smoking and substance abuse, so let’s find out how to reconnect. We Are Lonely is funded as part of Medibank’s ten year initiative to combat loneliness.