Emma Gannon, proponent of slow living, says there is a “difference between loneliness and chosen solitude”

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared in 2023 that there was an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. He stated that the covid-19 pandemic had “exacerbated the loneliness that’s been building for decades.”

However, a growing trend among Millennials and Gen-Z-ers is doing things solo. Living alone, dining alone and traveling alone. According to a Forbes’ report, in 2025 the latter was one of the top emerging trends with 76% of members of those cohorts planning solo trips.

Emma Gannon, an author and journalist, wrote in an article for The Guardian: “I wonder if those people who were cooped up with others without any personal space are behind this rise in people eating alone, seeking out alonement and travel and savouring every morsel of hard-won peace.”

Loneliness and solitude are not the same thing

The proponent of slow living published a book last year titled ‘Table for One’, which tells the story of a “woman rekindling her relationship with herself after a breakup.” She notes that while in some cultures like in Italy dining solo is considered “strange” that in others like Japan its “baked into their DNA.”

She says that despite being married, one of her biggest pleasures in life is treating herself to a solo date. “Eating alone doesn’t always mean misery,” Gannon says and that there is “room for nuance” when discussing the topic of loneliness and solitude.

“I have a theory that since the pandemic we’ve been able to clearly understand the difference between loneliness and chosen solitude,” she told the BBC. In her opinion, this is because “many of us were either stuck inside a house full of people with no escape or desperately alone, craving company and conversation.”

“I wonder if chosen solitude can one day be openly celebrated – especially for women, who often forget to prioritise their pleasure in a world of endless to-do lists for other people,” Gannon said.

“I think solitude inspires a wonderful sense of creativity, it gets the juices flowing and encourages problem solving,” she reflected.

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