Young People May Be the Loneliest of All

What a 55,000-person survey reveals about modern loneliness

Young people today seem more connected than ever to their peers. Compared to older generations, the under-25 crowd grew up with laptops, cellphones, dating apps, and social media. And yet, one of the largest international surveys on loneliness has found that young people ages 16 to 24 report being more lonely than all other age groups.

The new survey results included around 55,000 people from 237 countries. The researchers found that 40 percent of people ages 16 to 24 say they are often or very often lonely. People under age 24 also reported being consistently lonely and feeling loneliness more intensely compared to older people.

Only 29 percent of people between ages 65 and 74 and 26 percent of those over 75 reported regular loneliness.

The survey is part of a larger effort by the global public health community to understand the prevalence of loneliness and how it might affect health. Research has linked chronic loneliness to depressive symptoms and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

The survey was carried out by the University of Manchester, Brunel University London, and Exeter University, in partnership with the BBC. Roughly 60 percent of the respondents were based in the United Kingdom, a country that has taken unique steps to address what some have called a serious problem of loneliness, even appointing a minister of loneliness in early January.

The findings also echo the results of another report released by the UK’s Office for National Statistics in April, which also found that the 16-to-24-year-old set reported being lonely more often than older people.

“I think what we’re tapping into here is something quite normal and not something we should pathologize in any way.”

Researchers behind the new study say social media may not necessarily be the cause for feelings of disconnect among younger people. Instead, Pamela Qualter, a psychologist at the University of Manchester and one of the study’s lead researchers, says feelings of loneliness in this age group could be because young people are often in “a huge flux in their social life.”

“Youth is characterized by transitions,” Qualter says. “Young people have to move away from the family [and find] other groups to belong; they are trying to work out who they are in the world, who they want to be. Those things can all be naturally isolating.” Even many older people in the survey said the loneliest time of their lives were their younger years, she notes.

Loneliness may feel more intense at a young age, the researchers say, because young people may be less experienced in regulating their emotions and haven’t had a chance to learn that loneliness passes over time. “Young people have to work out ways of coping with things for the first time,” Qualter says. “That means loneliness may be felt for longer and more intensely as we work out how to deal with it.”

But Qualter feels that we need to be careful about how we frame the issue. “I think what we’re tapping into here is something quite normal and not something we should pathologize in any way,” she says.

Andrew Steptoe, a psychologist and epidemiologist at University College London who wasn’t involved in the new research, says he’s not surprised by the findings, as there is pressure on young people to find true friends and build new relationships. The reason “why we’re particularly concerned about loneliness in older people is related to health,” Steptoe says. “A young person who is lonely may well feel emotionally distressed,” he notes, “but they’re not going to develop a physical illness” as a result.

For Qualter, it’s a positive sign that so many people, including young men and women, are willing to admit to being lonely, and some even see good in feeling that way. More than 40 percent of people — including roughly a third of lonely young people — said loneliness can sometimes be positive. That goes up to nearly 50 percent among people over 65. Respondents said that being lonely helped them with personal growth, aiding them in developing resilience, coping with difficult situations, and being creative.

The survey participants also suggested ways to tackle loneliness. The top suggestion was to distract yourself by engaging in work, studies, or hobbies. Other people recommended joining a social club or taking up new activities, changing your thinking to be more positive, and talking to your friends or family about your feelings.

For those dealing with more prolonged or chronic loneliness, possible interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to improve mental health through changes to thinking and behavior, could be helpful, Qualter says.

Above all, Qualter says it’s important to console youth who are dealing with any level of loneliness. “Yes, this time might be a time of loneliness,” she says “but it’s perfectly normal.”