Celebrate Solitude in Health Messaging

New research finds media describe being alone about ten times more negatively than positively, and that this framing changes how people feel when they are alone. Reframing solitude as an opportunity (for creativity, reflection) reduces feelings of loneliness and can improve well‑being. Public campaigns could highlight the benefits of intentional solitude rather than equating aloneness with social isolation. — It challenges dominant 'loneliness epidemic' narratives and suggests a low‑cost policy lever—message design—that could improve mental health without pathologizing normal solitude.