SDH Captioned
Grades 11 - 12, College, Adults
Directed by Charles Wilkinson
Produced by Tina Schliessler
DVD Purchase $350, Rent $95
US Release Date: 2025
Copyright Date: 2025
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-46-2
Subjects
Climate Change/Global Warming
Health
Internet
Loneliness
Media Literacy
Media Studies
Mental Health
OnlyFans
Psychology
Social Media
Social Psychology
Sociology
Tech Addiction
Technology
Urban Studies
Awards and Festivals
Available Light Film Festival
Why are so many of us lonely? The reasons are many. The solutions are not hard to find.
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"[A] compelling and beautiful film illustrating the importance of human connection." Carrie Henning-Smith, Assoc Prof, Health Policy, Univ of Minnesota |
Most of us are by now familiar with the warnings: loneliness is worse for our health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The statistics supporting that are astonishing. Billions of dollars are spent in related health care, hundreds of millions of lives are lived in quiet solitude. What's causing this? Is there a cure?
TALK ABOUT LONELY looks at the obvious culprits: smartphones, dating apps, 'social' media, contactless commerce, the pandemic, remote work, urbanization, A.I., the ever-increasing pace of 21st century life. Then it digs much deeper into the hidden, underlying causes: concentration of the media into the hands of self-interested capital, legitimization of inequality prioritizing individual gains over community health, neoliberalism, capitalism gone dramatically wrong. And most importantly, we'll see the pathways many are successfully taking to escape this labyrinth.
The film presents evocative images of our many states of both disconnection and re-connection. It features deeply insightful commentary. TALK ABOUT LONELY is raw, beautiful, heartbreaking, heartwarming, challenging, revealing, and most importantly - hopeful.
Reviews
"The science of human connection is complex and multi-disciplinary. At its core, though, is the basic fact that we need meaningful relationships to survive and flourish. Talk about Lonely is a compelling and beautiful film illustrating the importance of human connection, the ever-evolving challenges that stand in the way of meaningful connection, and offers glimmers of hope for connection now and in the future. The film took on some of the biggest issues of our time, including technology, artificial intelligence, and climate change, and offered concrete examples for how to overcome some of the risks they pose for loneliness and isolation. This film will provide inspiration for students, researchers, policymakers, and everyone else striving to make the world a more connected, caring place."
Carrie Henning-Smith, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, Co-Director, Rural Health Research Center, University of Minnesota
"What? I wasn't paying attention. I was on my phone. Talk About Lonely is a rallying cry to put technology in its proper place. Our epidemic of loneliness is a serious matter, and we can't beat it alone. This is a great film for classrooms, churches, mental health practitioners, and most importantly, anyone who cares about connecting with others."
James Roberts, Professor of Marketing, Baylor University, Author, Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?
"Talk About Lonely provides an in-depth, and sometimes saddening, look at the loneliness epidemic with expert insights and real-life experiences. It is a reminder that the most important things in life are our social connections, and calls on each of us to unplug and seek connection with the world and people around us."
R. Amanda Cooper, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Connecticut
"Talk About Lonely takes viewers on a broad journey about loneliness, exploring our need for social connection through scientific, political, spiritual, environmental, and social perspectives. The film examines the myriad reasons for epidemic loneliness while offering possible solutions for an increasingly complex problem. Narrated by a wide range of community voices, this film provides engaging material for productive discussions, both in the classroom and the community."
Preeti Malani, Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan
"Talk About Lonely is an intelligent, thoughtful, and penetrating portrait of the negative impacts that the escalating levels of social isolation and loneliness are having on our lives. But it is not just a tale of gloom and doom. This film goes beyond just examining the worrisome influences that AI, pornography, public spaces, policy, social media, and climate are having on our ability to meaningfully connect with others - It speaks to the ability of art, music, the outdoors, and our inherent human nature to help us to never walk alone."
Lenard Kaye, Professor of Social Work, Director, Center on Aging, University of Maine
"This film takes a fantastic deep dive into loneliness, the nature of human connection, and the peril of modernity. It serves as a valuable lesson for the technologically saturated society that we live in