Analysis: Reseach has found that the feeling of not belonging and being failed by the current system can make people receptive to extremist ideologies
Research conducted by European Commission's Joint Research Centre in 2022, found Ireland to be the loneliest country in the EU, with 20% of Irish people reporting feeling lonely most or all of the time, compared to an EU average of just 13%. Although long discussed as an issue which disproportionately effects older people, recent surges in those reporting feeling lonely and socially isolated in Ireland are predominantly driven by younger demographics.
The impacts of loneliness on an individual’s health are well documented, being recognised as a risk factor for anxiety, depression and stress, as well as physical conditions such as heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. In 2023, The World Health Organisation designated loneliness a global public health concern, stating that the effects on mortality were equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The serious health impacts of loneliness are also reflected in how it is discussed, with the phenomenon regularly being described as an "epidemic".
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, 18 to 25 year olds are among the most affected by loneliness
While the effects of loneliness and social isolation on individual health are increasingly recognised, there has been far less discussion of loneliness’s ability to shape how we view others, and our attitudes towards democratic institutions. In The Origins of Totalitarianism, philosopher Hannah Arendt described loneliness as "the common ground for terror" and "the essence of totalitarian government".
Loneliness was understood not just as a lack of social connections, but the feeling of not belonging in the world at all, resulting in an inability to participate in a shared reality. In this unmoored state, the individual becomes vulnerable to extreme, all-encompassing ideologies – particularly those which offer belonging, clarity and simple solutions.
The connection between individual loneliness and political extremism is perhaps most overt in the case of Incels, an anti-feminist community linked to several acts of violence in recent years. Incel identity is primarily formed around a perceived inability to form or maintain meaningful romantic relationships. This fundamental aspect of inceldom is what distinguishes incels from other groups in the manosphere, and it shapes both how they are understood by wider society and how they understand themselves. However, research is increasingly showing Incels hyperfixation on their inability to form romantic relationships obscures a larger picture – many don’t have any friends at all.
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From RTE Doc On One, Invisible Men - Ireland's Incels talks to Incels in Ireland. Produced by Alan Bradley and Nicoline Greer and first broadcast in 2024
Incels offer a particularly extreme example of a trend researchers are observing across society: people who feel left out of social life are becoming more vulnerable to communities and ideologies that provide belonging through grievance. Loneliness has been correlated with support for radical right-wing populism and antifeminism, a fear of foreigners, and an increased tendency to perceive social threats.
Perhaps most worryingly for our democracy, loneliness has been found to have a positive correlation with a preference for authoritarianism, and heightened social distrust. This phenomenon has also been identified within Ireland, with an ethnographic study of Irish men aged between 18 and 29, finding increasing isolation and frustration within this cohort, which left them more receptive to socially conservative and reactionary values, some of which were explicitly far-right and authoritarian.
This matters because modern Ireland is giving young people many reasons to feel cut off and left behind. The housing crisis is keeping many twentysomethings (and thirtysomethings) in precarious living situations, overcrowded apartments or living with their parents. Research conducted by Red-C and the National Youth Council of Ireland found that young people disproportionately bore the brunt of the rising cost of living. Under these pressures, going out for a pint or a coffee, joining a club, or going to the cinema with friends becomes a cost that people simply can’t afford.
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From RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland, report on the backlash to the Deptment of Housing's tone-deaf video aimed at young people living at home with their parents
This is exacerbated by precarious work with unsociable hours and long commutes that leave little time (or energy) for face-to-face interactions. Social connections are easy to lose and, in adulthood, they demand active work. This is unlike during childhood and adolescence, where social contact is largely built in. Increasingly, young people simply lack the time, energy and resources to maintain these invaluable connections, contributing to their isolation.
In recent years, the discussion surrounding threats to our democracy has largely focused on disinformation campaigns, foreign interference and malign actors. Less attention is given to a generation of young people in Ireland stuck at home, experiencing burnout, withdrawing from society, and growing increasingly resentful of a social and economic order that shows no signs of improvement – the exact kind of disaffected citizens such campaigns are often designed to reach.
It should come as no surprise that people who feel they are being failed by the current system are more likely to be receptive to anti-democratic views. Arendt believed that democracy relies on people who feel connected to a shared world. Networks of support, shared spaces, and relationships that remind people they are not facing their problems alone are all crucial in building resilience to radicalisation. Loneliness severs these connections and leaves people vulnerable to anti-democratic movements offering identity, certainty and someone to blame.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
