American Sweden’s Founder Lauren Ell hosted a small gathering in Gällivare, Sweden on June 15, 2024 for Loneliness Awareness Week, an international event that was founded in England to draw attention to the subject of loneliness.
Loneliness is a topic that continues to receive more discussion as increasing numbers of people all over the world are rapidly reporting they feel lonely. One of the fastest growing groups that feels most alone are young people.
Ell, 36, noted that she has felt lonely at different times in her life, but she particularly noticed loneliness when she moved to Sweden from California.
“Sweden is ranked as one of the loneliest countries in the world,” Ell said. “It can be very difficult to make friends or to simply find someone who is comfortable to talk to.”
After living in Sweden for many years and observing others around her also experience hardships of being alone, Ell decided to take action by sparking discussion about loneliness.
No one showed up to her event this time, but she is certain she will continue to do what she can to inform others about how serious loneliness is and promote measures that can be taken to address it.
