Technology means we can connect instantly with anyone, anywhere. And yet, people in Canada are struggling with loneliness. As we spend more time online, this Mental Health Week the Canadian Mental Health Association Champlain East is asking: what does it mean for our mental health?
Youth are the loneliest of all age groups: almost 1 in 5 youth (ages 16–24) report feeling lonely often or always. At the same time, they are the heaviest users of social media and digital tools. Young people are at the centre of the issue, but they’re not alone in feeling lonely.
Nearly all people in Canada are connected to the internet, and about 8 in 10 use social media, many spending hours every day online. Meanwhile about 5 million people in Canada (13%) report feeling lonely often or always. Loneliness is linked to anxiety, depression, substance use, and disengagement.
“People don’t talk face to face the way they used to. Events like this remind us how meaningful it is to slow down, share a meal, and truly connect with one another.”
Statistics Canada data (2025) show that virtual connection alone is not enough. People who rely only on virtual connection with family and friends are more likely to feel lonely. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) people who connect only online are frequently lonely, compared to 15% of those who connect both in person and virtually.
For Mental Health Week (May 4–10), CMHA’s Come Together, Canada campaign encourages people across the country to connect for real with one another. Because connection strengthens mental health. For more information on the power and science of human connection, visit: mentalhealthweek.ca.