by Alan Nemirovski Image from: USA Today When you think an epidemic that might face young people in the 21st century, you might be thinking of disease, technology, climate change, or education. But in fact, one of the worst and most widespread epidemics affecting young individuals today, especially in the developed world, is something the you might have never considered to be that widespread of a problem: loneliness.
According to a 2018 study by Cigna, which surveyed over 20 000 young adults in the United States, nearly half of all participants reported sometimes or always feeling lonely, or feeling left out. One in four, or 25 percent of participants rarely or never feel that there are people who really understand them. And the most interesting result? That Generation Z (yes, the generation all current high-school-aged students belong to) is the loneliest generation out of all the previous ones. Loneliness is a subjective feeling. You may be introverted or solitary and not necessarily be lonely — you might just like to spend a bit of time alone to recharge. You might be extraverted and spent your weekends partying with dozens of people or hanging out with your group of friends and still feel lonely. In addition to the grim results, the study did also find and reinforce previous theories about the nature of humans. One thing that was discovered is that humans who have frequent and meaningful face-to-face interactions are found to be less lonely. This reinforces the fact that humans are social animals, and it is important to have people around us who we care about and who care and support us. The study additionally pointed out that social media isn’t entirely to blame for this epidemic (which is what some people are saying is causing this epidemic). Instead the study shows that a balanced life, that is, a balance of sleep, work, family, socializing with friends, and “me-time” is connected to lower loneliness scores. And they emphasize that balance is key, as too much or too little of any activity generally lead to higher loneliness scores in the study. So next time you’re feeling a lonely, try doing something you haven’t done in a while. Whether that is going out with friends more, or saving some time for yourself, it is important that you find a middle-ground. And while social media isn’t entirely to blame for the epidemic, it still contributed to it, so maybe a break from social media every now and then wouldn’t hurt either. For more detailed information about the results of the Cigna Study, please visit: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8294451-cigna-us-loneliness-survey/
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