The Social Production of Loneliness in an Age of Hyperindividualism

Abstract

In contemporary society, the experience of loneliness is increasingly emerging as a collective psychological condition rather than an individual pathology. Amid
rapid socio-economic transformation, neoliberal capitalist ideologies promoting hyperindividualism, self-optimisation, and competitive selfhood have contributed
to the erosion of communal bonds and relational forms of living. This narrative review examines interdisciplinary literature across psychology, sociology, cultural
studies, and philosophy to explore how structural shifts toward individualism shape the emotional landscape of loneliness and weaken social connectedness. It
portrays loneliness as a socially produced phenomenon embedded within broader economic and cultural processes rather than merely a personal deficit. By
integrating sociological critiques of neoliberalism with culturally informed approaches to mental health, the review addresses a critical gap in dominant
psychological discourse which often prioritises individual coping over structural and relational dimensions of distress. The review argues that addressing
contemporary loneliness requires a shift from individual-centred models of intervention toward community-based and culturally rooted frameworks of care for
community building and social healing in an increasingly fragmented world.