Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based nutritionist’s candid comments about loneliness in the city have sparked a lively online debate, with residents divided over whether the city’s fast-paced lifestyle is making it harder to build meaningful social connections.
Rebecca Pinto shared a video on Instagram describing her own experience of isolation, saying she currently has less human interaction than she did during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her remarks quickly gained attention, with some viewers relating to her experience while others strongly disagreed with her assessment of Bengaluru.
Traffic may be keeping people apart
Pinto said she began looking into why some cities can feel lonely and identified Bengaluru’s traffic and long commuting times as a major factor.
According to her, travelling across the city for even a short meeting can become difficult, discouraging people from maintaining regular social interactions.
Is Bengaluru missing free social spaces?
Pinto also argued that Bengaluru has plenty of activities but fewer public spaces where people can simply spend time without having to pay.
She contrasted this with coastal cities, where beaches and waterfronts can naturally bring people together. In Bengaluru, she suggested, socialising often revolves around cafes, restaurants and other commercial venues.
She also pointed to the city’s large migrant population and transient workforce, as well as what she described as a lack of a shared city-wide cultural experience.
Residents push back
Many Bengaluru residents disagreed with her conclusions. Some acknowledged traffic as a genuine problem but pointed to places such as Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, street fairs and cultural gatherings as examples of free or accessible spaces for socialising.
Others described Bengaluru as one of India’s most cosmopolitan cities, where people from different backgrounds celebrate festivals and participate in community activities throughout the year.
Pinto acknowledged that her observations were shaped by her personal experience and invited others to challenge her perspective, turning the video into a wider conversation about what makes a city feel connected — or lonely.