Technology makes it easier than ever to connect with anyone, anywhere. Yet many people across Canada are still struggling with loneliness.
As more time is spent online, this year’s Mental Health Week is raising an important question: what does that mean for our mental health?
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Champlain East says youth are feeling it the most. Nearly one in five young people (ages 16 to 24) report feeling lonely often or always. At the same time, they are among the heaviest users of social media and digital tools.
Young people may be at the centre of the issue, but they’re not alone.
Across Canada, nearly everyone has internet access, and about 8 in 10 people use social media—many spending hours online each day. Meanwhile, about five million Canadians (13 per cent) say they feel lonely often or always. Loneliness has been linked to anxiety, depression, substance use, and disengagement.
People don’t talk face to face the way they used to. Events like this remind us how meaningful it is to slow down, share a meal, and truly connect with one another.
According to Statistics Canada (2025), virtual connection alone is not enough. People who rely only on online interaction with family and friends are more likely to feel lonely. Nearly one in four (24 per cent) people who connect only online report frequent loneliness, compared to 15 per cent of those who connect both in person and virtually.
For Mental Health Week, taking place May 4 to 10, CMHA’s Come Together, Canada campaign is encouraging people across the country to make real, meaningful connections.
Because stronger connections lead to better mental health.
For more information on the power and science of human connection, visit mentalhealthweek.ca.
