One woman recently took to social media to discuss how lonely living in Toronto feels, and the viral clip has already amassed hundreds of comments discussing heightened feelings of social isolation and declining mental health in the city. 

In the one-minute video, Bachelor In Paradise Canada cast member Marilyn Smith discusses how lonely and isolated she's felt since moving to the city. 

Is she speaking facts? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Av333Tl2RP

— 6ixBuzzTV (@6ixbuzztv) December 11, 2023

"I'm pretty sure recently Toronto was named one of the loneliest cities in the world, and they are not f***ing wrong. I moved here two and a half years ago by myself, and I've never been lonelier in my entire life," she says.

"I thought I was going to move here and make friends and I made some, but they're only party friends. I think I only have friends when I want to party, because other than that, no one hangs out, no one talks to each other. This place f***ing sucks." 

I spent 8 years in Toronto then Covid happened. It really destroyed this city. All the small business and cool restaurants are gone cause they couldn’t survive. Rent is at an all time high, nobody has money to go out. I’m glad I moved out at the end of covid tbh.

— OnlyGoodGames™ (@OGG1993) December 11, 2023

Smith also went on to criticize Toronto's dating scene, as well as how difficult it can be to make new friends in the city. 

"The men don't approach women whatsoever, they just stare at you from across the bar and never talk to you. They come up to you, they don't ask you out, and the women don't even look at them. Everyone's just so b*tchy," she said. 

Wow so many of you dislike Toronto. That’s unfortunate. I love Toronto. I love the different cultures, the accents, the food and different traditions. There are many good people here who care and are kind. Give T.O another chance ❤️

— Jenny (@jeninkingston) December 11, 2023

While some responses agreed with Smith, others suggested that those seeking new friendships should make a note to visit places of personal interest where they can connect with like-minded individuals. 

It’s a cut throat and fast paced city more than ever. Post covid era + cost of living in the city has made it even made many peoples lives even more work/grind oriented so I don’t blame her for thinking it’s lonely or tough to make friends. Definitely should check out diff social…

— Albi The-Aziz (@ItsTheAziz) December 11, 2023

However, a recent report does suggest that Toronto could be one of the loneliest cities in Canada, with 37 per cent of those surveyed reporting that they felt lonely three or four days a week — higher than any other city included in the report. 

The Toronto Foundation's 2023 Vital Signs report, titled "The Power of Us," outlined troubling trends of social isolation, economic stress and declining mental health in Toronto. 

That's not just Toronto, that's our society as a whole. People don't know how to share their lives as actual 'friends' anymore thanks to social media. You get the rare people like this who want to be actual friends but it's just not a reality anymore.

— The King's Courtyard (@kingscourtyrd) December 12, 2023

The report — which was released in November — found that mental health hasn't improved in the city since 2021, with almost one in four adult Toronto residents reporting symptoms of a major depressive disorder, and almost one in five reporting symptoms of moderate anxiety. 

Additionally, findings revealed that the proportion of people in Toronto with six or more close friends declined by nearly 30 percentage points from 2013 to 2022. 

Worrying report shows Toronto is a 'lonely' city 'overwhelmed' by unaffordability 😕https://t.co/J6fa9RyvVo #Toronto #Unaffordability

— blogTO (@blogTO) November 15, 2023

The report also outlined how mental health and the city's cost of living are intrinsically linked, with 1 in 3 Toronto residents believing that their household income is insufficient, and 17 per cent of people in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) living in overcrowded conditions.