Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2023

Date: 3/8/23
Name: Jenna Sniffen
Central Question: How does loneliness within elders negatively affect communities?
Thesis: Elderly loneliness affects our communities because it causes them to feel useless and increases the chances of
developing life threating aspects.
Essay Sections:
#1 What is the problem? What are the systemic causes? Who is hurt and who benefits? (Use three sources.)
#2: What has been and is being done? (Use two sources.)
#3: What do you think should be done and what do you intend to do? (Use one source.)

In which section will you use this source?

Excerpts:

This article tells us, “according to the National Institute on Aging, the health risks of prolonged
isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day”.

AARP surveys taken in 2021 reveal that “results showed the emotional impact of the pandemic
has led some older adults to increase negative coping habits”.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a large effect on elderly people: “a University of Michigan poll
found that 56% of adults ages 50 to 80 reported feelings of isolation since June 2020”.

Commentary and Analysis:

This article talks about the effects of COVID-19 within elderly people. The pandemic has
affected us in more ways than killing many, it has left some people to feel empty. Feeling empty
and alone is one of the most horrifying feelings in the world because it seems as there is no
purpose in living. Along with having positive effects, there are far more negative effects that
elderly people have coped with. An example would be eating habits. There are a quarter of
people who have confessed to eating less healthy than they did before the pandemic hit.
People have also claimed to have a high increased experience with anxiety and sadness
after the wave of COVID-19 cases. 77% of people that are 50+ years, state that they live with
heavy fear now. Seven in ten people claim to have a significantly higher level of depression and
50% of people have increased anger problems. All of this, due to a pandemic in which we
focused on the basic effects of, not the long term or side effects of.

MLA Work Cited:

Kroll, Michele M. “Prolonged Social Isolation and Loneliness Are Equivalent to Smoking 15
Cigarettes a Day.” Extension, 2 May 2022, extension.unh.edu/blog/2022/05/prolonged-
 social-isolation-loneliness-are-equivalent-smoking-15-cigarettes-day#:~:text=According
%20to%20the%20National%20Institute,as%20many%20as%2015%20years.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was produced by the University of New
Hampshire and includes research from the University of Michigan and University of San
Fransisco.