Issue 18: Living in the age of insecurity is collectively taking a toll 😔💔  January 9th 2024

Living in the age of insecurity is collectively taking a toll 😔💔

Astra Taylor, the Canadian-American documentary filmmaker, writer, and activist delivered the 2023 Massey Lectures across Canada with a stop in Toronto. Her new book, The Age of Insecurity accompanied the lectures.

Taylor believes that everyone today is feeling insecure.

"If you've been feeling insecure and unsettled lately, you're not alone. From rising inequality and declining mental health to climate change disasters and the threat of authoritarianism, insecurity has become a "defining feature of our time".

From financial to emotional insecurity: Taylor thinks the current system is failing people because the economic stress we are experiencing is causing emotional stress. Financial insecurity triggers a range of emotions including shame, despair, anxiety, stress, sadness, fear, frustration, and helplessness. The pressure people feel from being short on groceries, lining up at food banks, dodging calls from debt collectors, worrying about paying rent, or fretting over the cost of traveling and meeting friends at an event is weighing on many. All this emotional stress is leading to physical illness, wreaking havoc on those struggling to make ends meet. The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently estimated that the economic impact of depression costs the global economy $1 trillion per year.

Toronto is one of the loneliest cities in Canada 😔🍁

The Toronto Foundation released their 2023 Toronto Vital Signs Report in November. It found that Toronto residents are struggling with social isolation and belonging despite the pandemic being behind us.

Sharon Avery, President and CEO of Toronto Foundation, writes:

"We are increasingly concerned about the social fabric of the city: advancing inequality, persistent post-COVID social isolation, growing class divides between white-collar workers and others, poor mental health, deterioration of the public realm, apparent indifference even to the suffering of others. Some people are choosing to leave; too many young people don’t feel they have a future here."

Some findings from the 2023 Toronto Vital Signs Report

On loneliness & mental health:

• 37% of Torontonians (925,000) report feeling lonely at least three or four days in the last week making them amongst the loneliest in Canada.
• Loneliness among high school students has doubled, with 44% feeling frequently lonely.
• Mental health is just as dire now as it was earlier in the pandemic: Almost 1 in 4 adults (575,000) in Toronto report symptoms of a major depressive disorder, almost 1 in 5 report symptoms of moderate anxiety. Young women who are socially isolated and financially vulnerable have even worse outcomes.
• The percentage of people with 6 or more close friends declined by nearly 30% from 2013 to 2022.

On Cost of Living and The Affordability Crisis:

• 1 in 3 Torontonians believe their household income is insufficient, up from 1 in 5 in 2018
• 17% of people in the Toronto CMA are living in overcrowded conditions, including almost a third of newcomers (32%)

Inflation isolation is making us lonelier 😔💸🚫👥

Canadians nationwide are feeling the financial weight of goods and services and are staying home more often. An Ipsos survey found that 52% of Canadians in Ontario are staying home more often while 35% are socializing less with friends to save money. Inflation, high interest rates and higher costs are the main culprits behind "inflation isolation". Younger Canadians especially those earning less than 40k are the most likely to spend less time socializing with friends. Harder financial challenges mean 20% of Canadians are feeling more socially isolated, 42% are more stressed out and 39% have more anxiety.

Of Canadians who have taken on significant debt or who view their debt as "terrible", 77% feel more stressed out. 72% are more anxious while 72% are staying home more often and 55% are socializing less with friends. The majority of Canadians are experiencing a downward spiral and decline in their mental health the more indebted they become.

The rise of the hermit consumer: The Economist reported in October 2023 that since Covid-19, "hermit consumers" in the richer developed countries have cut their spending by $600 billion on services outside the home like entertainment, restaurants, club memberships, recreation and other social activities. Instead, they are turning inward and spending their money on more solitary, do-it-yourself and home-based activities.

Long-term solutions require solidarity 🤝 and collective action 🌍✊

Astra Taylor told the CBC the crisis of insecurity cannot be solved through individual self-care. Instead solidarity and collective action is needed.

"We all need a bit of self-care, but you can't meditate your way or exfoliate your way out of this crisis....This is absolutely a structural, social and political phenomenon. And that means that we can only actually address it through collective structural solutions...Being honest about vulnerability and insecurity is the first step toward creating solidarity."

Similarly, one recommendation from the Toronto Vital Signs Report is for the city to foster better personal connections and community activities to overcome social isolation and loneliness. Community engagement, social trust, and neighbourhood support networks need to be strengthened, especially for the lower-income, disabled, and marginalized communities.

Mental Health Resources:

This article discussed financial insecurity, anxiety and depression. If you or someone you know wants to talk to a professional therapist, consider the Affordable Therapy Network. They offer low cost & sliding scale counselling across Canada.

You can also get help by calling or texting: Suicide Canada Crisis Helpline: 9-8-8 (phone) | 9-8-8 (text). If you live in Ontario and want to call or chat online with a registered nurse, please call Health Connect Ontario at 811. You do not need to provide your health card number.