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Life feels complicated. Relationships, friendships and family, it can feel the same way. Especially when it's digital.
Between doom scrolling, ghosting, awkward conversations, mixed signals and endless distractions, building meaningful connections actually feels harder than ever before. We're living in a world where we're constantly connected, and yet so many people are still experiencing loneliness, isolation and a sense of disconnection from others and even themselves.
Sure, our phones keep us in touch, but they can't always give us what we need most: genuine human connection.
It's easy to find yourself feeling detached, not just from other people, but also from yourself.
From friends and partners to family, community and ourselves, our connections shape how we feel, cope and thrive. By thinking about the ways we connect with each other and ourselves, we can strengthen relationships, improve wellbeing, break down stigma, and make it easier to recognise when we might need some support.
Are we connected, or just chronically online?
The digital world has transformed how we communicate.
Social media, online communities and messaging apps allow us to stay connected across the world and find people who share our interests, experiences and identities. Finding people who just get you makes a real difference, and these online spaces are valuable because they can help people build friendships and feel part of something bigger than themselves.
But digital connections aren't always the same as real-life ones, and we risk losing the depth and authenticity that face-to-face relationships often provide us.
Many of us spend hours interacting through screens, following creators, influencers, celebrities or online personalities. Over time it can feel like we know these people personally, even though the relationship only goes one way. These are also known as parasocial relationships.
Not all connections go both ways
Parasocial relationships aren't inherently negative, and can provide us entertainment, inspiration, a sense of community and even comfort during difficult periods. For some, following someone whose experiences, values or personality resonate with them can help them feel less alone. It's easy to compare our lives to carefully curated content online and feel emotionally invested in people who don't know us in real life.
But it's important to recognise the difference between feeling a connection to someone and their content vs having an actual relationship with them.
Parasocial relationships don't involve mutual support or two-way communication and is completely one sided. When these connections begin to replace real-world relationships, they can sometimes contribute to feelings of loneliness and anxiety, and create unrealistic expectations or a distorted view of what relationships should look like.
Enjoying online content and communities can absolutely be part of a healthy, connected life. We just need to also make space for relationships that exist beyond the screen too, where people can listen, respond, challenge us, support us and genuinely share our lives alongside us.
We're also entering a new era of connection shaped by artificial intelligence.
AI can be a useful tool for learning, organising our lives and even having conversations. For some people AI may offer comfort during periods of loneliness or provide a starting point for finding information and support.
However like a parasocial relationship, AI cannot replace human relationships or professional care. Just because you can have conversations with it, ask it questions and ask it for advice, it doesn't truly know you or understand your circumstances, and therefore doesn't recognise the full complexity of your experiences.
This is especially important when it comes to mental, physical and sexual health. If you're worried about your wellbeing, experiencing a difficult situation, or need advice tailored to you, speaking to a healthcare professional, counsellor or trusted support service is always the best option where possible.
The importance of real-life connections
Messaging, sharing memes, reels and TikToks can be a great way to stay in touch, but they work best when they compliment real-world interactions instead of becoming our main way of connecting.
Meaningful relationships are built through shared experiences, emotional connection and simply showing up for one another. These moments help us feel valued and understood, both of which are important for our wellbeing. Connecting with others or yourself doesn't have to be complicated. Often, it's the small things that make the biggest difference like:
- Catching up over coffee
- Taking a walk with a friend
- Calling a family member to chat
- Joining a community group or club
- Checking in on a neighbour
- Going on a solo-date with just yourself
- Spending time with those who truly see and accept you
These everyday moments help us build stronger relationships, feel a sense of belonging and remind us that we're not alone.
How do healthy relationships help with loneliness?
Loneliness is something most of us experience at some point in our lives, but it's not always about being alone. Sometimes it can happen even when we're surrounded by people if we don't feel truly seen, valued or supported.
More than 4 million adults in England reported feeling lonely often or always between October 2024 and March 2025. That's around 1 in every 14 people!
While occasional loneliness is a normal part of life, ongoing feelings of loneliness can affect our wellbeing, confidence and sense of belonging. The good news is that having healthy connections with others can help.
Healthy relationships and friendships give us people we can trust, talk to, and share life's ups and downs with. They help us feel supported, understood and less alone, reminding us that we have a place in the world and people we can turn to when we need them.
What makes a relationship healthy?
Healthy relationships, friendships and connections with others aren't about being perfect, and every relationship will experience disagreements, misunderstandings and difficult moments. What matters most is how we treat each other through those moments. Healthy relationships and friendships are also built on:
- Trust and honesty
- Respect for each other's boundaries
- Open and honest communication
- Mutual support
- Feeling safe to be yourself
- Listening without judgement
- Reliability and consistency
- Independence alongside connection
Whether you're talking about a partner, a friend, a family member or even a colleague at work, a healthy relationship should add value to your life, not leave you feeling constantly anxious, controlled, unsupported or emotionally drained.
It's also important to remember that relationships evolve.
Romance can fizzle out, friendships may grow apart, family dynamics might change, and new relationships may emerge. Having a healthy connection isn't about holding on to every relationship forever, it's actually about recognising what's helping you thrive and what may no longer be serving you and your wellbeing. We often focus on how we treat others, but healthy relationships start with how we treat ourselves. Self-respect, self-awareness and healthy boundaries help create stronger connections with the people around us.
Who can you create meaningful connections with?
- Friends: Friendships provide support, laughter, perspective and companionship. They often become the people we turn to during life's highs and lows and can have a significant impact on our mental wellbeing.
- Partners: Healthy romantic relationships can provide intimacy, trust and emotional support. They should create space for each person involved to grow as individuals while building a shared life together.
- Family: Families come in many forms, and whilst family relationships aren't always straightforward, positive family connections can offer stability, understanding and a sense of identity.
- Community: By feeling part of a community, whether through shared interests, volunteering, local groups, faith communities or support services, it can reduce feelings of isolation and strengthen our sense of belonging.
- Yourself: One of the most overlooked relationships is the one you have with yourself. Taking time to understand your emotions, recognise your needs and prioritise your wellbeing creates a stronger foundation for every other relationship in your life. Sometimes reconnecting starts by slowing down and asking yourself what you need.
Time to start somewhere, and it's never too late.
Of course, genuine connections and healthy relationships aren't built overnight. They start with a message. A conversation. A moment of honesty. A new friendship. A visit to a local group. A decision to ask for support. All it takes is a moment.
Let's reconnect with ourselves, strengthen relationships, support our communities and remind each other that nobody has to navigate life alone.
Why Sexual Health Week matters
When people hear the term sexual health, they often think only about physical wellbeing and testing or preventing infections. But sexual health is about more than just physical health, it's also about relationships, communication, respect, boundaries, consent, confidence and feeling connected to ourselves and others.
Sexual Health Week is an opportunity to start wider conversations about the factors that shape our overall health and wellbeing, because it can have a profound impact on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Need support with your sexual health?
SASH is a free, non-judgemental, and confidential sexual health and wellbeing support service, available to those living and working in the London boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham. You can learn more about SASH as well as access their support by visiting their website.
Turning Point has other free sexual health support services in select London Boroughs that can provide you with guidance, support and advice. This includes the Young Sexual Health services for young people, available in Hounslow, Southwark and Lambeth, or Resilience which is a young person's substance use and sexual health service in Hammersmith and Fulham. To see if there is a Turning Point sexual health service available near you, visit the Sexual Health Support page to learn more.
Need someone to talk to?
You don't have to be struggling to reach out. Whether you're looking for information, guidance, support, or simply a friendly conversation, our local services are here to help you take that first step.
Sometimes it starts with nothing more than a chat and a cup of tea.
Find your local service and start the conversation today.