Social media creators frame solitude as a lifestyle as experts warn of health risks

Key points

• Paulina Cee’s Instagram video about spending a Friday night alone in New York City has surpassed 11 million views.
• Cee, who has more than 320,000 Instagram followers, regularly posts videos emphasizing a life without friends.
• Toronto creator Lana Isa presents solitary living through videos about staying home, eating, shopping and avoiding relationships or dating.
• Lana Isa says anxiety and the loss of a relationship and friendships shaped her content, which she describes as personal rather than romanticized.
• University of Klagenfurt researcher Mareike Ernst said such videos may reduce stigma around solitude but could also normalize prolonged isolation.
• The report said extended social isolation is associated with higher risks of heart disease, mental illness and premature death.
• A 2025 World Health Organization study found 17% to 21% of respondents aged 13 to 29 reported loneliness, with teenagers most affected.
• Psychotherapist Phil Lane warned against turning loneliness into an aesthetic; his Instagram post had received about 900 views.