Generation lonely: How the young became more isolated than their grandparents
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/lonely-loneliness-young-people-gen-z-b2880707.html
Posted by tylerthe-theatre
Generation lonely: How the young became more isolated than their grandparents
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/lonely-loneliness-young-people-gen-z-b2880707.html
Posted by tylerthe-theatre
16 Comments
Its the phones.
Its the disjointed communities.
Its the limited opportunities.
Its the cost of living.
My Grandparents, and parents, grew up in communities, with adults who didn’t work, or worked part time, and formed a village that helped and supported their neighbours, and used the extensive communal facilities like village / town halls, sports centres, libraries and swimming pools.
Almost none of those facilities exist any more (they’ve all been sold to cover statutory needs for councils, or been cut for “austerity” reasons), and modern parents are mostly working 10+ hours a day (with commutes) on both parties, so there isn’t the interaction with the “village” any more.
It doesn’t really have anything to do with phones, it’s all to do with cost of living.
“And importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family. Face to face.”
“a screen in a social context isn’t just a screen – it’s a shield prohibiting real-world contact.”
“The uplift in time spent on devices directly correlates to a nosedive in the amount of time young people are spending outside”
“Human connection – real, messy, visceral – is one of our most basic, fundamental needs. As we enter a new era of digital companionship and virtual friends, it’s more vital than ever that young people are taught how to put down their phones and connect in the real world.”
Another smashing success story from disastrous Covid lockdowns, *massively* exacerbating a problem that was already becoming a significant issue.
At least lockdowns literally saved at least 27 quintillion grandmas; the massive social, educational, and economic damage that they wrought? *Totally* worth it.
To be honest, It’s technology as a whole. I’m a prime example (I’m mid 30’s). I work from home and have no hobbies except gaming. I only really leave the house for food shopping and meeting the bosses for breakfast (I cycle for fun in the summer). I’d say any generation that grew up with a TV is cooked. Without my phone, games, TV etc, the only thing to do would be go pub, or some other random hobby.
Also, once I left school, everyone goes off and does their own thing anyway… Friends get jobs, some go college etc, friends change for better or worse so you cut ties, then it’s nigh on impossible to make friends when you’re older.
Who gives a shit?
I don’t mean that rhetorically to disparage young people by the way. But who actually cares about young people in this country? What has actually been done to show young people that they are valued by society in the past, what, 30-40 years? If the government and the media cares at all about any single age-demographic, it would be the elderly. Nobody else is even pandered to; the youngest are demonised. This attitude permeates throughout society and isn’t getting better, there’s no sense of community whatsoever for young people anymore. Anybody who has grown up in this country within the last few decades will tell you this, but nobody listens to them.
You mean a generation only interacting with others through screens and too broke to meet up in real life is lonely ?
Im shocked I tell you, shocked!
/s
It’s not just the young. There is loneliness epidemic that runs through all ages – and throughout our society. It’s little wonder that there is a serious problem with mental illness becoming so widespread…
we can’t buy houses and therefore can’t put roots down until we’re 35+, so we don’t get to stay in one community for a long time. We move from rented housing to rented housing.
Our friends move to different parts of the country for work or even leave the country all together
There are no free third spaces anymore for people to come together
Religion has all but died off in many communities so there’s no regular meeting place for people in their communities
Also theres a health crisis in this country with people being banished to the NHS hospital referral black hole for years at a time meaning your conditiom just sits there festering, getting worse and robbing you of all self esteem and confidence.
My mother and grandmother all received treatment quickly and more importantly a proper care to resolve their issues.
Good fucking luck now. Cunts look down on anyone not middle class as salary slave peasants and so long as we continue grinding towards death they make bank off us whilst downplaying medical conditions because they look down on us.
Im currently on 4 waiting lists all with a year plus wait….after years of neglect from previous medical professionals who just couldnt be bothered.
Putting kids in any kind of club activities costs a huge amount of money.
I can relate to this, I’m autistic and am not the best in social situations, so while I don’t have many friends, I never feel too lonely or isolated. Some people are just more introverted than others and that’s totally OK.
It’s community and lack there of. Things to do outside of the house that isn’t just a massive money trap. We have a government that removed benches in parks so people won’t gather. There used to be free events that had an opportunity to meet new people. Now we can’t even talk like humans to one another. So it’s only going to get worse I expect
Tech free square dancing would solve a lot of these problems, and I’m only half joking.
I’m 33 and I’m incredibly lonely, which is why I turn to Reddit so much for something… anything.
i mean i was isolated before phones and shit anyway. society just gets meaner and meaner, everyone is the enemy. what community is there?
It’s only anecdotal evidence I know, but I grew up playing MMOs like crazy throughout my teenage years. First RuneScape then WoW, my parents basically couldn’t get me off the screen. I recall having over 1000 DAYS of game time in WoW alone by the end of my teen years.
By the time university came around, I basically was incapable of conversation and very anxious in social situations – I spent most of my uni years and early 20s unable to make friends and feeling very isolated as a result. It took a monumental effort to build up social skills as an adult!
I can’t help but wonder how many young people end up like myself due to excessive screen time growing up.