Signs and objects in op-ed articles on loneliness in the US and Singapore newspapers: a semiotic interpretation

Abstract Semiotics uncovers signs and objects in narrative accounts and vivid descriptions in the larger body of texts through the power of an interpretant. A sign is an idea that stands for something bigger while an object is a possible interpretation or meaning of that idea. An interpretant is best thought of as the understanding that we have of the sign-object relation. In this study, we attempted to answer two research questions: (1) What signs do descriptive accounts of loneliness signify, and what objects do these significations suggest? (2) How do these sign-object relations accomplish awareness and understanding of loneliness as a deep human emotion? By thematically analysing 30 opinion articles on loneliness published in the US and Singapore newspapers, we were able to decipher the signs that op-ed articles on loneliness suggest, and we seemed to have unravelled the meanings of these signs. We seemed to have found two signs in our interpretation and meaning making: (1) In the US, loneliness exists due to the rapid deterioration of deep and meaningful human connections, and (2) In Singapore, loneliness that is made overt is a sign of human weakness. What object does the first sign suggest? We surmise that our material body has enormous power to connect with other human beings in the physical world in which we live. Fundamentally realizing the power of our lived body and our lived mind can allow us to sustain meaningful human connections that matter to our mental health. For the second sign, we argue that Singaporeans in general tend to create a binary self of which they are ensnared into a double identity that somehow explains who they are. However, this rise of embodying a binary self or a double identity in the Asian context seems to conceal difficult, heavy, and pervasive emotions such as loneliness bringing a debilitating impact on mental health. Theoretical and cultural implications invite Singaporeans to embrace vulnerability and human frailty as a way of dealing with loneliness as a dangerous emotion. Practical implications also draw into the power of embracing vulnerability and human frailty so that individuals can manage and overcome difficult emotions such as loneliness that has bearing on the kind of life they want to live.