A staggering 22% of millennials (aged 23 – 38) surveyed by YouGov say they have no friends, while less than 1/3 say they have at least 10 friends.
Meanwhile 30% of Millennials say they ‘always or often feel lonely.’
According to the New York Daily News,
Even if younger Americans are overstating their isolation, the jarring numbers reflect long-term rising trends in loneliness. Studies have indicated that loneliness has myriad negative mental and physical health effects.
“Strong social relationships support mental health, and that ties into better immune function, reduced stress and less cardiovascular activation,” Debra Umberson, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, told Time magazine in 2015.
Oddly, 25% of Millennials surveyed also said they don’t have any acquaintances.
Is social media to blame? As the Daily News points out, “a 2018 study out of the University of Pennsylvania linked usage of apps like Facebook and Instagram to social isolation. “Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness,” the study’s author, psychologist Melissa Hunt, said at the time.” – READ MORE