Feeling lonely is something most of us have experienced. For today’s young people, however, loneliness has become more persistent and consequential. The World Health Organization now prioritizes loneliness as a global public health crisis. Numbers in a recent WHO report make that case: One in six people worldwide are affected, with teenagers aged 13-17 reporting the highest rates of any age group at approximately one in five.
Loneliness is defined as the gap between the social connections we want and those we actually have. This gap helps explain why people experience loneliness differently, and it is this dissatisfaction that forms the distinction from social isolation. A caregiver may be socially isolated when they don’t have access to social networks of extended family and friends but may or may not experience loneliness. In contrast, a student can be constantly surrounded by classmates yet feel lonely if those social connections are perceived as lacking depth or meaning. Although it is normal to experience loneliness at times throughout life, concerns arise when loneliness persists over time and with strong intensity.
As our society has moved through the COVID-19 pandemic into deepening social division while also increasing use of digital technologies…
