The decline in value has seen a shift towards materialism and away from awareness and compassion for others, the dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, Andrew Azzopardi, told Times Talk.

He warned that loneliness was a far greater problem than previously thought, as shown in a recent survey carried out by the faculty. The problem is how to solve it, as a holistic approach involving society, the government, families, the church and the education system all have a role to play, he stressed.

What is not so clear is whether the connectivity provided by social media can help - as what is needed, he said, was actual contact.