Millions of Chinese have been playing a mobile game called Travel Frog recently. You play as the “mother” of a frog who lives alone and enjoys traveling. You need to prepare food and tools for his trips. The frog will send you postcards while he is away.
The game's popularity may have something to do with how lonely people are these days, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Many players have said that the lonely frog is just like them. But playing with the frog helps them forget their loneliness for a short time.
Loneliness seems to be a common problem today. According to the Guardian, a British daily, about 40 percent of American adults say they're lonely. And in the UK, about one in five people in the country are “always or often lonely”, the Telegraph reported.
This might be why the UK government announced the country's very first “Minister of Loneliness” (孤独大臣) in January. The minister's job is to find ways to help UK citizens feel less lonely. The minister's office will provide more money for activities that connect people together.
This loneliness problem may be partly because of social media. When we see pictures of friends having fun or posting pictures on WeChat or Microblog, we may compare their “perfect” lives with our own and feel sad and lonely.
But we should remember that no one is born to be lonely. As UK poet John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island. Every man is a piece of the land, a part of the main.” Here are some tips to get rid of loneliness:
Sing your favorite songs.
Connect with a friend.
Do something creative, such as drawing a picture.
Imagine some place you'd like to visit, like a fun gathering or a sporting event.
