Political engagement may be the key to fighting our loneliness epidemic

[marmar]

Political engagement may be the key to fighting our loneliness epidemic
In "Democracy in Retrograde," Emily Amick and Sami Sage argue activism can be good for mental health

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED JULY 9, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Engaging in politics can be a form of self-care. That might seem hard to buy, especially if your main form of political engagement is doom-scrolling and posting scary stories on social media. The authors of a new book, "Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives," argue, however, that getting off the couch and into the political mix not only helps the larger community, it is good for your mental health.

Emily Amick, former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sami Sage, cofounder of Betches Media, offer a guide to getting into political activism that has tones of a self-help book. The goal is to find a form of activism that fits with a reader's skills and emotional needs so that getting involved is nourishing instead of draining.

....(snip)....

You format this book like a self-help book. It reads like a book on how to improve your life or improve your relationship. But in this case, it's improve your relationship to political engagement and activism. Why did you use that framework?

....There's a loneliness epidemic in the country. Civic engagement, activism, and getting involved in something meaningful to you are great ways to fight the loneliness epidemic. Build a community of people who you share values with. It tremendously enhances your life.

People are often skeptical when I say you can fight the feeling of hopelessness by volunteering. People worry getting out into the world will make them feel even worse, like they're just a drop in the bucket. What do you say to that particular objection?

I think that's a valid feeling. People are facing a political establishment that's a gerontocracy, of disproportionately old white men. We also have minority rule and the fact that democracy is in retrograde. Even media headlines have statistically gotten more negative over the past 20 years. The vibes are bad. I don't want to negate that. Everyone's feelings about the whole endeavor are valid.

Still, I appreciate that you talk about drops in the bucket. My political philosophy is that a rising tide lifts all boats. The way you lift that tide is thousands of raindrops. At the end of the day, we live in these communities because everyone is willing to do a little bit of work to help other people. That's the only way we're able to reap the rewards from having the communities that we formed. It involves everyone just doing a little piece. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/07/09/political-engagement-may-be-the-key-to-fighting-the-loneliness-epidemic/