Loneliness—an all-too-familiar feeling for many young adults. It’s almost like a rite of passage, isn’t it? Nearly half of young adults aged 18-24 across eight countries admit to feeling lonely. That’s not just a casual “I’m bored” kind of loneliness. No, 40% of those aged 16-24 feel lonely often or very often. Yikes!
And the loneliness doesn’t discriminate by age, either. Young adults aged 18-34 lead the pack in isolation rates, blowing away stereotypes about lonely old folks.
Digging deeper, 54% of college students aged 18-24 report feeling lonely. That’s almost like a badge of honor in the age of social media. Chronic loneliness has been linked to severe mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, making these feelings particularly concerning for this demographic. In fact, loneliness had almost three times the odds of meeting depression criteria across all countries.
54% of college students aged 18-24 feel lonely—almost a rite of passage in our social media-obsessed world.
Meanwhile, 17-21% of teens aged 13-29—yes, the ones you’d think would be too busy Snapchatting to feel lonely—are feeling the same way. Compared to just 30% of adults aged 55+, young adults are really taking the cake here.
Gender plays a role too. Women report higher loneliness levels than men. Unmarried young adults? You guessed it—loneliness city.
And let’s not forget urban dwellers, who seem to be feeling the sting of solitude more than their rural counterparts. It’s almost poetic in a tragic way.
Let’s talk social media. You’d think scrolling through endless posts would cure loneliness, right? Wrong. College students who spend 30+ hours a week online are 38% more likely to feel lonely. So much for “making connections.”
Then there’s the mental health aspect. Lonely young adults are nearly three times more likely to meet the criteria for depression.
And those feeling lonely are 22% more likely to tank their grades.
